Grounded
My Wilcannia Life
Karin Donaldson
Read my artist statement here
View Grounded sculpture and ceramic works here
Location
404-408 Argent Street, Broken Hill
Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery
bhartgallery.com.au
Date
9 July – 22 August, 2021
New Day, New Growth
1993
unique state hand coloured linocut on cartridge paper
framed size h 83cm x w49cm
$1,000
Rivergums with a story to tell
2019 – 2021
pastel on colorfix paper
framed size h 73cm x w93cm
$2,400
Falling head first through the universe
2002
monoprint with acrylic
framed size h 70cm x w55cm
$1,000
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, I felt as if I was falling head first through the universe. Art making has wonderful power over fear and anxiety – I made dozens of drawings in the midst of the anguish.
Ephemeral lakes by starlight
2014 – 19
unique state relief print with stitching and acrylic on canson paper
framed size h 84cm x w54cm
$1,800
A thousand winters beside the river
2015 – 21
pastel on colorfix paper
framed size h 73cm x w160cm
$4,200
MARYAM’S SONG OF THE GREENING
2010
variable hand coloured linocut, collage and acrylic on Rives BFK paper
framed size h 94cm x w69cm
$1,800
I wanted to sing with Maryam of Nazareth as she danced her joy at the prospect of a new time, her hope for the coming of an era of peace and justice. The words are in her language, ancient Aramaic: ‘My soul rejoices in the Lord/ My spirit exults in God my saviour.’
Bob and Rita Wilson ‘in a world of possibilities’
2014 – 21
oil on canvas with photo montage
framed size h 124cm x w185cm
NFS
ANCESTRAL PLOUGHMAN
(with an image from ancient Swedish rock art) 2012
Variable relief print on Rives BFK paper
framed size h 66 cm x 87 cm
$1250
$900 (unframed)
Some of my ancestors belonged to the west coast of Sweden, and I was moved to find that, in ancient times, people of the region had a tradition of making images in rock. No information has survived about their meaning and purpose, but I felt free to use some of these ancient images in my work – my ancestors might have been among the artists who created them.
BILLABONG IN THE MORNING
pastel on colourfix paper
framed size h69 cm x w 87 cm
$2,400
BILLABONG WITH LONE EGRET
linocut on Rives BFK paper
framed size h 90 cm x 48 cm
$600
unframed $400
CANDELABRUM FOR THE PLANET EARTH
2019 – 21
mixed media on paper
framed size h 155cm x w123cm
$4,200
DROUGHT
2010
variable relief print, collage and acrylic on Rives BFK paper
framed size h 55 cm x 68 cm
$800
unframed $400
‘My country, a part of me’ Ethel Edwards at Capago Lake
1992
oil on canvas
framed size h 162cm x w162cm
NFS
MOTHER IN THE HARD TIMES
1996
linocut on Rives BFK paper
framed size h 59cm x w50cm
$600
SERPENT IN ITS OWN COUNTRY
2016 – 18
mixed media on paper
framed size h 83cm x w 218cm
$4,800
Walking beside the river one day, I was intrigued by the long sheets of bark shed by a rivergum. The undulations on them were like hills and I decided to take some home and roll them up with printing ink to see if I could get an image to use as the basis of a panoramic landscape. But when I lifted the print, I was startled to see the clear image of a large snake, even to the details of its head. It thrilled me that the land itself had given me a subject. I let myself be led by the unexpected print and my own intuition, and honoured this mysterious serpent that had emerged.
STORM COMING
2012 – 21
pastel on colourfix paper
framed size h 76cm x w95cm
$2,400
Plunging into the chaos
2017
mixed media on canson paper
framed size 89 x 68 cm
$2,400
The writing on the wall
2020
mixed media on cartridge and canson paper
framed size 74 cm x 63 cm
$950
On the brink
2016 -18
mixed media on Rives BFK paper
framed size 85 x 65 cm
$2,600
Quite bewildered
2020
mixed media on cartridge paper
framed size 95 x 79 cm
$2,600
I began this work by making a monoprint with random scribbles – one of my ‘chaos’ series – and when I peeled back the print, a face emerged from the scribbles, staring at me with the blank eyes of a bewildered person. There are many facial expressions that would echo the chaos of our times – and bewilderment is one of them.
Clouds and daisies
2018
pastel on colourfix paper
framed size 88 x 69 cm
$2,400
Towards the ridge
2019
pastel and charcoal on colourfix paper
framed size 86 x 69
$2,400
Walking up a slope in the Spring Hills (Paakantji-Wilyakali Country) I found myself in a place that was dramatically beautiful – but a difficult place to be, because it was so incredibly stony. It was also littered with so many fallen branches that it seemed that a mini cyclone had been through. It was almost impossible to walk – kangaroos and emus would find it as inhospitable as I did. But I loved the fierce, stark beauty, and sat down to draw and honour it.
When the river began rising
2018
pastel on colourfix paper
framed size h 67cm x w84cm
$2,400
Reaching out within the chaos
2018
mixed media on art papers
framed size 110 x 88 cm
$3,500
In recent years, I’ve felt moved to address the chaos of our times in my art-making. In a number of works, I’ve begun by making monoprints with random scribbles or blotches, letting the work show me what to do next. It’s a technique that’s intentionally unpredictable (like many of the situations we find ourselves in!) and pushes me to trust my intuition as I go forward with the work. But while I begin with chaos, I don’t end with it – I seek energy, life and hope in the midst of it.
Gallant survivor beside an uncertain river
2019
pastel and charcoal on Moulin de Larroque paper
framed size 88 cm x 70 cm
$2,000
Skipping in the midst of it all
2019 – 20
variable relief print with charcoal and acrylic on BFK paper
framed size h 83cm x w60cm
framed $1,200
Dance of the drought survivors
2018
pastel and charcoal on colourfix paper
framed size h 68cm x w86cm
$2,400