Complex Ecologies, 2018-2023
Complex Ecologies is a series that originated in 2018 as a way for me to intimately connect with my immediate natural environment of Brisbane. Growing up in this city, I have often found myself inspired by the diverse sub-tropical environments embedded in the public spaces of my everyday life and in the private homes of my family and friends. The value of the familiar can often go unnoticed and I reflect on our connection with our situated environment though the process of relief-print carving. Through the investigation of repeated organic patterns and forms I surface my perception of nature, utilising printmaking as a tool to connect on a personal level. Each line carved represents a feeling, a memory, a relationship that entwines and emerges into something new. A key story that underpins Complex Ecologies II and III is the hero tree that emerges through the interplay between negative and positive space. The simple form that is brought forward by the surrounding layers of flora demonstrates the complex diversity and connectivity inherent in the natural environment. What may be perceived as an isolated form, in reality reflects a narrative of complex ecosystems.
Complex Ecologies (2018) was acquired in 2021 by the ABC Network as part of the Artworks Program, hosted by Namila Benson. This artwork is featured in the talkshow room across a range of episodes, including Season 1 Episode 20, which follows the stories of Boys Swallows University, Murrniny & Ngaiire. You can view this program via ABC iView.
Image (left): Complex Ecologies, 2018. Vinyl-cut on Hahnemühle paper. Paper Size: 75 x 50cm | Image Size: 60 x 40cm. Edition of 10. Photo: Louis Lim. Courtesy of Onespace Gallery.
Complex Ecologies II, 2021.
Vinyl-cut on Hahnemühle paper. Paper Size: 99 x 58cm | Image Size: 82 x 50cm.
Edition of 15. Photo: Louis Lim. Courtesy of the artist and Onespace Gallery.
Complex Ecologies III, 2021.
Vinyl-cut on Hahnemühle paper. Paper Size: 99 x 58cm | Image Size: 82 x 50cm.
Edition of 15. Photo: Louis Lim. Courtesy of the artist and Onespace Gallery.
Complex Ecologies: Summer Haze I, 2023.
Vinyl-cut on Hahnemühle paper with hand-coloured watercolours (diptych). Paper Size: 42 x 128cm | Image Size: 29.5 x 119cm. 2AP + Edition of 10.
Photo: Louis Lim. Courtesy of Onespace Gallery.
As I have continued to develop my creative practice, my work has provided me with opportunities to visit other cities in Queensland to develop work for exhibitions and public art commissions. Following these trips, I reflect on the diverse ecologies I observed while exploring these cities, with the latest of this series, Complex Ecologies: Summer Haze responding to my time in Townsville. During my travels to Townsville, I found myself captivated by the tropical plant life that was in balance with the dry and rocky environment of this North Queensland city. There was a heat that permeated this landscape, the vibrant colours subdued by a haze that lingered in the distance when looking out to Castle Hill and Magnetic Island. Explored through the interplay between colour, pattern and form, these artworks showcased the local flora of the Beauty Leaf Tree, Kangaroo Apple, Acacia Ramiflora, Frangipani and Tuckeroo Tree.
Complex Ecologies: Summer Haze III, 2023.
Complex Ecologies: Summer Haze II, 2023.