Double Vision: Tanya Stubbles & Richard Morecroft

Richard Morecroft may be best known for his work on television – especially with his SBS show Letters and Numbers. For several years now he has been exhibiting his distinctive landscape photographs that create a sense of immersion in the environment. 

 

Richard has been dealing with points of view for many years, particularly while with ABCTV, for most of his working life. In the main they have been the views of others. But now he is addressing his own points of view through his unique photographic representations of the Australian Landscape.

 

Richard has literally and physically turned the notion of landscape on its head to present jet-stream-like ‘portraits’ of the ‘landscape’. The two terms are iconic, for not only are they two of the major genres of photography but also dictate the shape of a painting or photograph.

 

Landscape deals with the near to the far, but it’s been predominantly the wide approach that is taken by artists. Richard has chosen to extrapolate that view in two ways, firstly by presenting a narrow ultra-portrait shaped view and secondly by extending the reach from the extreme close-up of the foreground details and elements, to the far background, leading towards, or even up to, and beyond the horizon, producing almost stratigraphical views of the landscape. 

 

For this exhibition Richard also steps outside the natural environment, presenting images of cultural artefacts including the acclaimed multi-panelled work 

What You Need, recently featured in a national tour of Blake Art Prize finalists. His works also hang in Australia’s Parliament House collection.

Tanya Stubbles

Tanya Stubbles’ art practice began in 2006 and she remains seriously committed to her art, exhibiting in group and solo exhibitions in Wollongong, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Alice Springs and China. She completed two residencies at Arthur Boyd’s Bundanon, was a 2008 Wynne Prize finalist and won the 2012 Wollongong City Art Prize.

Tanya is a highly intuitive artist pushing the boundaries, exploring new ideas, processes and materials and creating unique personal perspectives of the world around her. The connection between objects and memory is no coincidence. She intentionally uses sentimental or nostalgic materials to trigger the subconscious using all manner of natural and found ephemera assembled into abstract wall pieces or installations. 

The results have powerful resonance. “People are instantly reminded of the past, especially their childhood. My art is not about me. It’s about the people I meet and the stories they tell me. Connecting with people and their past is one of the best parts of my practice”, she says. “The art of storytelling is becoming lost.”

The series in this exhibition explores delicate and subtle movements in nature. Intrigued with repetitive patterns in the landscape, Tanya uses weathered timbers that carry a sense of history and place creating intricately woven pieces that speak of the Australian Bush. The works incorporate organic materials sourced on field trips including river sand, ochres and red earth. This further develops the on going theme of sense of place and creates works which have a ethereal intensity.

“I have great respect for Richard’s work. Although working in different medias I believe our works have direct relationships as we are exploring similar themes of the Australian landscape.”