Preoccupation

Welcome to the first of my Studio Previews, where I’ll share my newly completed assemblages and my thoughts behind them.

I see this as landscape, an Australian landscape, with no perspective or horizon line. It’s made of gum, wattle and bottlebrush – all quintessentially Australian. I found and collected the lavish mottled leaves on a quiet island road, keeping a friend company while he waited for a hitchhike out west. The title refers to my preoccupation with the leaves as well as my passion for wild, unoccupied landscapes.

Preoccupation
Cup Gum (Eucalyptus cosmophylla) leaves, Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) twigs and seeds, Scarlet Bottlebrush (Callistemon rugulosus) fruit, linen thread and bookbinder’s gum on canvas
103 x 103 cm framed, Image 83 x 83 cm
Framed in a white box frame, with white matt and side spacers, glass, hanging wire and D rings.
Private collection: Washington, USA