The space between stones, 2022
hand cut paper
76 x 58cm
A shovel thrust into the hard earth. White stones littering the dirt. Scoop after scoop into an old paint bucket. The weight of the half filled bucket on the walk to the back fence. Lift up and over. Start again. The physical act of clearing a backyard of pebbles. New homeowners learning not to fill garden beds with tiny, white, smooth, endless stones. New homeowners filling time during lockdown.
This physical act of domestic labour is mirrored in the reflective and exacting practice of paper cutting. Starting with unmarked paper, surgical cuts explore the qualities, detail and shape of the environment. Stones appear from the negative space as images are ‘drawn’ with the blade. A tension exists between the pull of metal through paper, and the delicate strands left behind.
This dedication to process aims to find a meditative acceptance in the face of the relentless noise of life. The resulting image presents a disconcerting strain between paper, negative space and the faint shadows cast beyond the work. Ultimately, it is as much about what has been removed, as what remains.
Watch your step, 2021
hand cut paper
75 x 55cm
This past summer, against a backdrop of drought, bushfire and pandemic, conversations through the community quickly became fixated on the summer mice infestation. Someone had to clean dead mice out of the bird cage every morning. Someone put cot legs in buckets of water to stop the mice from biting the baby. Someone shared a video of hundreds of mice covering their driveway at night. Food was placed in plastic containers and steel wool was pushed into the gaps along the skirting boards. Fields were burnt. Thousands of dollars were spent on baits. By autumn, tiny rodent bodies lay among the fallen autumn leaves.
Through a reflective and laborious practice, the delicate lace-like representation explores the harsh qualities of the Australian landscape and results in a disconcerting strain between paper, negative space and shadow. Here the paved footpath appears to feature the annual fallen leaves, but upon deeper enquiry reveals the loss, fear and cost of the mouse plague on regional and rural communities, along with our greater ongoing tension with the environment.
Takeaway Heritage (5700 Awabakal stone tools and campsite remains), 2021
hand cut paper
50 x 70cm
This is a site on Awabakal Country where over 5000 stone tools and campsite remains were found, dating back to between 6716 and 6502 years. When the final excavation report was made public, stating the site contains “high to exceptional cultural and scientific significance”, the KFC restaurant that sits on the site had already been completed nearly a year prior. Underneath the concrete and the manicured lawns and the fast food joints lies ancient land.
Those cold winter nights, 2021
hand cut paper
30.5 x 38cm (framed)
Autumn Walk, 2021
hand cut paper
38 x 30.5cm (framed)
Rockley Gardens Ghost (Gum), 2020
hand cut paper
53.5 x 43cm (framed)
Ghost (Gum) Canopy, 2020
hand cut paper
28 x 34cm
Billy Goat Hill 26/05/20, 2020
hand cut paper
32.2 x 39.2cm
Suburban Footprints, 2020
hand cut paper
28 x 34cm
We moved home during the lockdown. 650 kilometres, two cats, one toddler, and no farewell parties. In our new hometown we knew no one and no one was around. The early days of arranging books and sorting key rings went by and we soon had nothing to do but walk the quiet streets (exercise), tracing maps of our new neighbourhood. Slowly the trees became familiar and we would exchange waves across the street as new neighbours also sought sunshine. First steps were taken, creativity was rekindled, and too many cakes were baked. We moved and found home during the lockdown.
Meet me amongst the pines & Marry me under the sun, 2020
hand cut paper
20 x 25cm each
Fitzroy Street 25/05/20, 2020
hand cut paper
25.6 x 31.3cm
This work is from a series created using surgical cuts on unmarked paper to explore the qualities, detail and shape of the Australian landscape, more specifically here, a tree around the corner from my home. Form appears from negative space as the image is ‘drawn’ with the blade. A tension exists between the pull of metal through paper and the delicate strands left behind. This reflective process both imitates the larger, devastating cuts by human hand to the environment, and restores the sheet of paper to a remnant of what once was. The final piece is as much about the paper image, as the emptiness, and the the ghostly shadows cast beyond.
White Gum, Brougham Park 2, 2020
hand cut paper
19.9 x 24.8cm
Brougham Park Study 2, 2020
hand cut paper
20 x 25cm
White Gum, Brougham Park, 2020
hand cut paper
20 x 25cm
Conimbla Study 2, 2020
hand cut paper
20 x 25cm
Darling (Street) Layers, 2020
hand cut paper
33 x 40cm