AUSTRALIS i

‘Australis’ is the second iteration of our collaboration as ‘The Earth Spun Light’. These cyanotype paintings have been exposed in a number of locations across Australia - from the sacred soils of Uluru in the red centre of the continent to the heart of Melbourne’s urban sprawl to the wild island of Tasmania off the South East coast of the mainland. The variety of solar and weather conditions under which these paintings were made showcases the wide spectrum of colour and form possible through the cyanotype medium.

The soft rays of light from Uluru at sunrise gave a pallet of pale-to-bright blues. Alternatively, the blazing noon sun at Corroboree Rock burned bold, dark navys and slivers of overexposed orange oxide. Cloudy conditions in Melbourne gave us less definition between hues but provided pleasant, calm washes of colour. Light drizzle in Tasmania gave the paintings a dappled effect over which we drew out darker purple tones using wine tannins we got from a winemaker in the Barossa Valley. We sprinkled ochre stained earth onto the paintings to block out light while they exposed. Each piece holds a special kind of energy, a coming together of land and light.