story | under

Moving beyond the river into its rich natural bushland, to explore land which is nurtured by the river is a place of stillness and activity; quiet and noise; where silence and secrets hint at story- a living history embedded in ancient times.

Sensing rather than shaping images, and grazing over the bush  from sky to ground  opened up possibilities for collaborating with this natural bushland place. The reward was a slow and magical revelation of a diaspora of colour, texture, pattern and shape all layered, twisted and intertwined.

Finding ways to  unfurl the elements of this quietly reflective area threw up new challenges with its complex chiaroscuro and riot of tone and colours. Having an identified area to focus was an important way to begin taking time to deeply listen and tune in with the bush. Collecting plant life and extracting its essence through layering and boiling with paper captured patterns and colours not immediately obvious to the naked eye. This became an  underpinning structure for finding ways to make visible hidden elements in this story of place.  Blending and layering photographs with eco- dyed and patterned images in ways that created both difference and coherence,  became the foundation for the suite of images in this project.