(62) Roma McLaughlin – Arctica 2020
(Australia)
(1167) Ketto Goojie – Henry Hudson (Italy)
About this Artwork
Price: $250 AUD
A page from Newnes Pictorial Knowledge encyclopedia shows the painting ‘The Last Voyage of Henry Hudson’ (1881) by John Collier.
The painting refers to the story of the disappearance of Henry Hudson during his attempt to find a northwest passage sea route in 1611. Hudson never found the passage, but he was the first European explorer to navigate the Hudson River in present-day New York.
Collier’s painting depicts the harsh Arctic conditions and the indifference of the region to the plight of the lost sailors.
My first reaction to the work was to think of this remote geographic location, and to reflect on Hudson’s expedition and the beginnings of European involvement there. Since the 1600’s human endeavour has taken its toll on the Arctic landscape. Ice has melted as climatic conditions have warmed.
Currently the heavily populated city of New York is in the grip of a virus pandemic crisis. As a result of this experience, I’d like to think that we humans can transition from a conquering approach to nature to one of nurturing the natural environment. In this way we could work towards a more sustainable future for ourselves and the planet.
My papercutting technique is to cut from a single piece of paper so that forms within the image are linked. This interconnectedness together with the fragility of the paper provides a commentary on the relationship between ourselves and the natural world. My work is a meditation on the fragility of that balance.
About Roma:
I am a papercut artist. Currently I am working on some papercuts about the Southern Ocean of Victoria. This coastline experiences constant erosion by the sea’s dramatic tidal patterns.
With a scalpel, I cut out shapes and create lace-like patterning into paper to depict the ebb, flow and undercurrents of waves. More recently through my observations of the Southern Ocean I have become interested in the patterns of cross currents in surf. When the finished papercut is mounted in a box frame, it casts mysterious soft shadows onto the background, while the white of the paper gives the effect of light on water.
I am a member of an international group called the Paper Artist Collective.
Recently a papercut of mine was used as a demonstration in a Thames and Hudson
publication for the Victoria and Albert Museum, London for a book called
‘PaperCrafts: A Makers Guide.’ (2018)
I have exhibited in Australia and overseas.
View Roma’s Art Aviso Profile HERE
Roma was supplied with the following page from Newnes’ Pictorial Knowledge Encyclopedia:
Newnes’ Pictorial Encyclopedia
Volume 2
True tales of high adventure.
The Last voyage of Henry Hudson.
About this Artwork
Price: 200 EUR
The page assigned to me shows Henry Hudson when he was abandoned by his mutinous crew, along with his 14-year-old son and one of the sick crew members, on an open boat at the mercy of ice and events: the scene represents a tragic moment.
In my painting, I focused only on Henry Hudson and specifically on his face: I wanted to put the human aspect at the center of attention and this is why the title of my painting is ”Henry Hudson”.
What I wanted to represent in his face is not only the worry and disguised despair, as the original painting.
I tried to merge the conflicting emotions that occurred before, during and after the tragic end of this journey: from determination, the spirit of adventure, hope, courage to the awareness of failure, the sadness of not being able to carry out the mission, the resignation of inevitable death.
All these inner thoughts and emotions are expressed in this human face and human being.
About Ketto Goojie
I find inspiration in everything around me: it could be a face of a person, a landscape or a detail of complex system.
Beyond the ”bright side”, there is always a hidden side which, in reality, is never completely hidden: the two communicate incessantly and transform each other.
My work ranges from detailed drawings to sketchy paintings: with my ”sketching” style and technique I want to extract, from a flat surface of shapeless color, something beautiful and, on the other side, bring out the”dark and ruined side” of a naturally beautiful subject.
With my art, I want to represent duality and its annihilation through a union that occurs through an ascending and descending process, of construction and destruction: the whole and the opposite of everything, united in the chaos that is nothing but eternal movement.
There is a kind of perfection in chaos and its acceptance elevates the human spirit: this is why I consider my art ”holy art”.
Link to Ketto Goojie’s Art Aviso profile HERE
Ketto Goojie was provided with the following page from Newnes’ Pictorial Knowledge Encyclopedia:
Volume 2
True tales of high adventure
The Last voyage of Henry Hudson