Purgatory: Canto XVI: The Wrathful
http://cs.nga.gov.au/Detail.cfm?IRN=100783
Adjective: brutal
Noun: destiny
Verb: escape
Fiona Hall’s Purgatory: Canto XVI Divine Comedy is part of a series of twelve Polaroid photos completed in 1988. The creation of the pieces would have been a 2 stage process. Stage 1 would have been the creation of the work, compiling the most effective materials and Stage 2 would have been to photograph the works at the correct angle to give the piece maximum effect. All of the images are inscribed using a felt tip pen to portray a rustic impression. The photographs depict Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’. Each of the photographs illustrates a particular verse. The works were created using materials from hardware shop such as barb wire, ropes and aluminium cans to create the harsh human figures and environment within the photo. The texture of the aluminium cans adds to the overall brutal feel of the image.
Tracey Moffat
some lads #2 by Tracey Moffat
http://www.roslynoxley9.com.au/artists/26/Tracey_Moffatt/77/32726/
Adjective: graceful
Noun: provocative
Verb: perform
Tracey Moffat's Some Lads is a series of 5 black and white gelatin silver photographs of the Aboriginal and Islander Dance Company. The works were displayed at the NAIDOC 1986 show. The dancers are shown quite in a different setting to how you would normally see traditional dancers photographed. The poses by each of the male dancers are provocative, cheeky and display a sense of intimacy. In this particular photo, the dancers are in a graceful, elegant position, yet something about the expression on the face dancer on the left is almost an expression of pain as if he is trying to hold his position. The photo is against a sheet backdrop which focuses your attention to the two dancers. The black and white photos give the images a greater feeling of intimacy and expression.
Rosalie Gascoigne
sweet lovers by Rosalie Gascoigne
www.ngv.vic.gov.au/rosaliegascoigne/
Adjective: pre-loved
Noun: intimacy
Verb: springRosalie Gascoigne was discovered as an artist in her late fifties but always thought of herself as an artist.Gascoigne moved from Auckland New Zealand to Mt Stromlo near Canberra. It was during this time where she would frequent garbage tips to find discarded objects and create artwork from them.Gascoigne used recycled materials in her works and her work was structured. In the piece above, Sweet Lovers, she has used retro-reflective road signs mounted on plywood. The road signs have been cut into pieces are re-arranged. Like many of Gascoigne’s works, the road signs have a worn look and feel to them. The cut and size of the letters are not the same, which gives the piece a distinct “pre-loved” feel to it.
