CULTURAL LANDSCAPES

From the pastoral to the sublime, landscape is one of the most traditional subjects in Western Art. 20th century philosophical enquiries have evolved our understanding of landscapes to include a complex layering of concerns and meaning.

Cultural landscapes, as defined by UNESCO, are formed by the combined work of nature and man. Within this exhibition leading contemporary artists Jon Cattapan, Richard Goodwin, Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, Yvonne Koolmatrie, Rosemary Laing and Stephen Birch, Rodney Pople, Joan Ross and Anne Zahalka reinterpret this definition by exploring the emotive, political, social and economic impact man has made on our landscape. They provide a new reading of the intimacy of relationships between humans and the Australian landscape, thwarting the idealistic to expose a more complicated geography.

Curated by Lizzy Marshall

Image credit: Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, Homecoming Queen, 2017, production still 2017, duration 11 minutes. The artists wish to thank the Martumili artists of Parnngurr WA for the creation of this work.