Artist Statement
It is into the darkness that we project our deepest fears, and out of the darkness that our fears find us. In the dead of night, somewhere off the beaten track in the eerie Australian landscape, a sudden sense of isolation, of estrangement from the familiar, may wrench you from peace and solace and abandon you to the uneasy lure of your darkest imaginings.
This series is an exploration of how the Australian Gothic haunts our response to the Australian landscape drawing on contemporary and familiar imagery of the Australian bush, of dingoes stealing babes and travelers murdered. Through creating a menacing visual narrative I explore how removing ourselves from our known surroundings can leave us in metaphorical as well as physical darkness.
Process Statement
I wanted the work to embody an experience of the Australian bush. All of the work was taken on camping trips in Australia on a land that is layered with history. One image was taken on Biddy's trail which is said to be'haunted' by the ghost of an Indigenous women who was brutally murdered by sealers at Sealers Cove.In all of the images I had a story in mind that would allude to a situation that does not feel comfortable. This feeling is tied to a 'haunted' landscape where events of history and a new comers relationship to the land, cannot be ignored.
"This ‘haunting’ is not metaphorical. It is a way to name a perturbance that lingers in the Australian consciousness.”
Ross Gibson, "Seven Versions of an Australian Badland". p.165
Rebecca’s work has been exhibited widely in Australia and more recently internationally. Exhibitions include solos shows at the Australian Centre for Photography, Monash Gallery of Art, Queensland Centre for Photography and Foto Freo Festival in Australia. Rebecca has been involved in many group shows including; The Lake curated by Malcolm Smith at the Australian Centre for Photography(2009), Transient States curated by Sally Quin at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery(2009), in 2010 her work was part of Imagining the Everyday a group exhibition of Australian photographers curated by Alasdair Foster at the Pingyao International Photography festival in China and currently Testing Ground which is touring nationally from Salamanca Art Centre curated by Julie Gough. Rebecca has shown work at the Lodz photographic festival Poland in 2011 and in France at Gallery Huit.
Rebecca has been a repeat finalist in some prestigious awards such as the William Bowness Photographic Award, the Josephine Ulrich and Win Shubert Photographic award and a semi finalist in the Moran Photographic Award. Rebecca received a Judges commendation award in the City of Joondalup Invitation Art Award 2012. Rebecca has work in many public collections including the Art Gallery of Western Australia collection and in private collections.
Alongside Rebecca's practice she is an active member of the photographic community. Rebecca is a university lecturer with a position at Curtin University in Western Australia and she has been a member of the board of the Perth Centre for Photography from 2010-2012. Currently Rebecca is undertaking a PHD at RMIT University in Victoria.
Rebecca is currently represented by Turner Galleries in Perth Western Australia.
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