Skulls | Artist's Statement | 2004
The works in the skull series of drawings and prints are based on the one
view, the underside of a cow skull, found in a field next to our home in
Mittagong, NSW. These skulls have become a type of ‘slate’ for
exploring ideas, techniques and thoughts. They also continue my on going
interest in exploring symbols of place.
Additionally there is the reading of any skull image as a type of ‘memento mori’.
In “Cow Skull on Calf Vellum” the drypoint etching of the skull is printed onto a traditionally treated piece of calf skin vellum.
In “white skull black skull” the linear contour approach echoes not only the form of the original object, but also the tight contour lines from the topographic maps of Mount Gibraltar, a prominent landmark opposite our house and the field where the cow skull was found. Continuing my interest in looking at maps and drawing a sense of these back into the object.
In “Big Night Skull”, there is a suggestion of the skull as an
imaginary night sky, with galaxies, comets, and star trails.