Gum Blossom Through Fire

14.
Gum Blossom Through Fire, 2019-2023.

Van Dyke Brown printing process, acrylic on watercolour paper

29.7 x 21cm

$450 framed

Through flames and ash, Australia's summer uniquely sits somewhere at the intersection of catastrophic natural disaster and regenerative cleansing. This collection of works is a testament to the enduring spirit of a land that has witnessed the ebb and flow of fires throughout its history. A place where the harsh climate, the dry bush, and the relentless heat have converged to create a dynamic and challenging ecosystem.

Some native Australian flora thrives in the face of wildfire. Eucalyptus and banksia pods have serotinous cones or fruits that are completely sealed with resin. These cones/fruits can only open to release their seeds after the heat of a fire has physically melted the resin. Other species require the chemical signals from smoke and charred plant matter to break seed dormancy. Some of these plants will only sprout in the presence of such chemicals and can remain buried in the soil seed bank for decades until a wildfire awakens them.

I started this series in 2019 when the catastrophic fires that year ravaged the areas I grew up in. Some friends lost absolutely everything in those fires. Using ultraviolet light produced by the sun, my original sketches and native australian flora I created the original pieces with the Van Dyke Brown printing process. The colours produced by this process mimic those of a scorched landscape leaving only traces and memories of the flora and fauna that lived there. The obscured images reflect this memory and only parts of these works have been fixed therefore these works will change slightly over time. Just as our memories and the bush will.

We have since faced an unprecedented few years of rain, a global pandemic and concerning climate predictions. This year is expected to be blistering, having had the hottest start to Spring on record. These predictions have propelled me to revisit these works, just as the fires revisit our bushland. I have layered new images over the original pieces obscuring the even further the original images.As scars remain, the bush moves forward, adapting and transforming, gradually blurring the memories of the fires. This impermanence is a reminder of the profound resilience inherent in both nature and the human spirit. The devastating impacts of these fires on the bush are propelled to new levels by global warming and climate change.

The title This is Fine refers to a meme where there is a cartoon dog sitting at a table with a cup of tea. It is surrounded by flames burning the entire room around it. The speech bubble above the dog read “this is fine”.

The current situation in Australia feels emblematic of this meme.