The subtle edge of migration: a rocky shore
This body of artwork takes Edward Casey’s philosophical formulation of a landscapes ‘subtle edge’ and applies it to the context of migrant experience. According to Casey the subtle edge is that part of a landscape of which it is difficult to determine its start and end. This ‘liminal’ zone is an area in which quantifiability and measurability are not easily achieved, and which is ambiguous in appearance. This research suggests that the intertidal zone of a rocky shoreline can be pictured as both an example of a subtle edge and as a metaphor for migrant experience. The rocky shore is an apt location with which to do this as it is an intermediate zone, neither fully land nor fully ocean, characterised by diversity and adaptability. It is two places at once and can be difficult terrain to traverse.
These paintings depict ambiguous locations. They situate the viewer as if standing in the shallows, with their back to the ocean, looking inland across the subtle edge of the rocky shore. The migrant’s encounter with a new environment is pictured as one of uncertain footing. The rocky terrain of these images is rendered in a complex array of painting styles and material applications which include, machine cut vinyl, drawing with marker pen, fine oil paint and loose and haphazard gestural mark making. The difficulty of comprehending this complex visual language alludes to a fraught and difficult to navigate terrain of migrant experience.
Research significance is demonstrated by the inclusion of paintings in: the Glover Prize Exhibition (a nationally significant survey of contemporary landscape painting), the Tidal 18 (exploring natural, cultural, personal and political concerns related to coastal regions) and Dear kunanyi at Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart. The paintings were selected for these exhibitions by industry experts including Dr Jane Deeth, Adam Harding, Director, Horsham Regional Art Gallery, and Ashleigh Whatling, Curator, Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery.
History
Medium
paintingDepartment/School
School of Creative Arts and MediaEvent Venue
Falls Park Pavilion, Evandale, The Long Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre, paranaple Arts Centre, DevonportDate of Event (Start Date)
2018-03-10Date of Event (End Date)
2019-01-27Rights statement
Copyright 2018 Neil HaddonRepository Status
- Open