Deborah Clarke

'intertidal - Eba Island SA'
Digital Photograph 2008

Imprints - Place and Time

These ephemeral works, recorded as photographs, explore my eduring conection between the inland and the sea.They involve a process of working with my own body, and with my friends bodies, in the places we call 'home'.

'Kin'
Digital Photograph 2008

'intertidal - Bundagen NSW'
Digital Photograph 2009

Deb painting at Serpentine Gorge

'One wellspring many cups'

Might sound corny but, 'This is how I view my creative practice. I paint, draw, photograph, write and work in the digital medium.
I use whatever mode feels most appropriate for what I want to express at that time. Everything I do is about my connection to the land, no matter what medium. Each way of working informs the others, they are not seperate, they all come from the same wellspring, in different cups'.

Deb photographing on top of Brinkley Bluff at sunrise

Drawing 'au plen air' with graphics tablet & laptop

'Above - Country' tryptich 2008
Mixed Media

'Above - Clouds' 2008
Mixed Media

In 2008 I returned to a much loved theme; the view from above. Perhaps its because I flew across the continent 3 times that year and the experience of seeing this country from above always has profound impact. Spending time high up in the Macdonnell Ranges on the Larapinta Trail has also informed this work.

'Above lake Eyre ' 2009
Mixed Media 100 x 750 cm

'Of Air Earth and Water' 2008
Mixed Media 100 x 750 cm

'Flying Home' 2010
Oil pastel and Ink 75 x 100 cm

'2b below Euro Ridge' 2007
Digital composite - archival inkjet print 32 x 40 cm

'2b on Mt Sonder' 2007
Digital composite - archival inkjet print 32 x 40 cm

'Mind Map' 2007 300 x 35cm
Digital composite of drawings done on the Larapinta Trail and satellite map of the trail (courtesy National Parks NT)

River Gum 1
Ochre and natural pigment 2009.

River Gum 2
Ochre and natural pigment 2009.

Painting with ochre

In the past year I have found great satisfaction gathering ochre, grinding it and painting with it in the environment.

Sources of ochre are not easily located, as its not appropriate or legal to take it from National Parks or Aboriginal owned land, but I am developing an eye for it, finding it in roadside cuttings and wash-aways. And though its not always possible to paint right where I find it I try to work in the same area, au plein air, on large sheets of paper or canvas, generally with a calligraphy brush on a long stick so I can move freely, 'dance' with the landscape.

'Ruby Rocks'
Ochre and natural pigment 2009. 150 x 50cm

'Wind in Mulga'
digital photograph 2007
100 x 75cm

tRust 2005 -

‘tRust’ is a continuing exploration of disintegrating vehicles found abandoned in regional and remote locations in NT, SA and NSW. They are large photographic ‘macro’ images of surface detail. These abstractions conjure up landscape, mirroring the cars location on a subtle level.
In the images at right and below I have embedded the vehicles back into rust detail from surface of the vehicle. This is my way of embodying the narrative element: what is the ‘story’ of these vehicles, why & when were they abandonded in their landscape.

'Scarp'
Digital Composite, 200 x 200cm 2008

Selected to be exhibited in the Alice Prize in 2008
Purchased for the private collection of Red Kangaroo Books

'Trusk Rust'
Digital Composite 2008. 150x x 60cm

'Ruby Cliffs'
Digital Drawing done 'au plen air' with graphics tablet & laptop 2009. 75 x 30 cm

Digital Drawings 'au plein air'

For many years I have used my computer as a creative tool, using 'graphics' based programmes that I learnt in my previous life as a graphic designer. I have taught these programmes to Fine art students at TAFE in NSW and at Charles Darwin Uni. Using it to mimick traditional drawing and painting practice is a bit like how an electric guitar mimicks acoustic sound ... similar but different. This difference enables amazing things,such as recording the actual process of my hand as makes the drawing. The question is then: is the artwork the finished digital print on paper or the process recoded?

To watch the process unfolding for ' Finke Rock Wall', 'Finke water' and 'Finke Rock at Midday' simply click on the picture itself. The animated sequence will then open on Utube. Be a little patient as its slow to start and then its quite quick, just a minute or so for each of these sketches.

'Finke Water'
Digital Drawing done 'au plen air' with graphics tablet & laptop 2009 . 40 x 30 cm

'Finke Rock at Midday'
Digital Drawing done 'au plen air' with graphics tablet & laptop . 40 x 30 cm