A Native Feature 2003

Abstract

Current international printmaking practice has seen developments in the depiction of identity through the use of metaphor in personal narratives. This research explores the distinctive and defining qualities of social satirical modalities of expression using vernacular urban forms and motifs, combining visual elements not used previously to highlight and reflect upon the contradictory nature of identity and existence through the distinctive qualities of the printmaking medium.

Through the use of black, ochre and terracotta inks, the aquatint etching A Native Feature delves into detritus within the context of the suburban landscape. It ameliorates the objects depicted, considered to be insignificant, so that they become metaphorical characters to reveal prevalent contradictions inherent in the complexity of human relationships, environmental policy, fundamentalist belief systems and the ethics of business and government.

The significance of A Native Feature is evidenced by its acquisition by the Art Gallery of New South Wales and subsequent inclusion in the exhibition Contemporary Australian Prints – From the Collection. The work has also been shown by John Miller Gallery, Newcastle in the solo exhibition Recent Etchings.