Using the stories and archives of the Daniloff and Kozloff families this body of work spans three generations and travels through several countries and cultures; from Imperial Russia to the exotic world of Persia finally settling in the light filled landscape of Australia.
My work explores the notion that literally and metaphorically, the landscape of memory overlaps with dream and story and that these things are connected to identity and the meaning of familial bonds to culture and place. These meanings are considered against a number of contrasting landscapes both real and imagined. The first is the landscape of the past created through stories and mediated images the second is the real landscape of Australia and particularly the Moreton Bay area.
The paintings, assemblages and constructions bridge the past and present through the fusion of modern techniques such as digital imaging and transfer with the traditional practices of painting, drawing and gilding. The subject matter determines material resolution.
I have decided to include landscapes completed during my various residencies in Australia, most recently in the far south west of N.S.W. where I was able to visit Mungo and the Murray – Sunset national parks.
After all, the journey that began in Russia still continues.
Paperbacks and Passports was shown at the Redland Art Gallery.