‘Arid Arcadia: Art of the Flinders Ranges’ is a provocative glimpse at a region that has continued to inspire and prompt numerous artistic endeavours throughout the centuries. Showcasing the work of some of South Australia’s most important and influential artists and artworks, ‘Arid Arcadia…’ celebrates and investigates the way in which images of the outback came to reside in the psyche of all Australians. The manner in which the landscape moves from the early depictions of colonial illustrations of the region through to a contemporary realisation in the guise of photography, montage, painting and instillation draws on a wealth of artistic talent.

Though the notion surrounding a typified landscape genre refers to a (traditionally painted) image, depicting an extensive area of scenery viewed from a single aspect, the works within ‘Arid Arcadia…’ reference multiple responses to the landscape. Building on the tradition of Arcadian representations, the evolution of a certain ‘pastoral poetry’ within these idealised landscapes ensures artistic expression are challenged and built upon offering the audience various levels of engagement.

The diversity of the Flinders Ranges as a geographical region, evident through the artistic interpretations within the exhibition, sees the environment depicted in all its extremities. Harsh and beautiful at the same time, the Flinders Ranges is a land of tree-lined gorges and desert plains that stretch to the horizon. The term arid in the exhibition’s title misleadingly refers to a place that is barren, infertile and apparently devoid of interest. However the Flinders Ranges is a land of contradictions with its rugged and untamed beauty. For instance, after sudden rains the desert transforms into a sea of wildflowers and areas of dense vegetation. The landscapes represented and framed by the artists are therefore determined not only by time of year they choose to visit the region; their own interpretation of the landscape has to be taken into consideration. The changing philosophical, artistic and political frameworks of the time also contribute to the reading of the works.

Providing valuable insights into the exploration of the region, historical narratives such as the images of popular colonial artist S.T Gill 1818-1880 are visually symbolic of our national story. A guided interpretation, the imaging of Australia as a colonial entity, sees a hybrid of imaginary worlds as reality exposed in varying degrees in these considered watercolour artworks. The symbolic use of flora/ fauna integral in the images, remain somewhat ambiguous of origin, indicating colonial transition of place. Originating from an empirical perspective, these images instigate a symbiotic relationship which continually oscillates between past and present representations of the landscape.

Perhaps the artist who best epitomises the region in all its rugged grandeur is Sir Hans Heysen. One of South Australia’s great landscape artists, Heysen was prolific in his production of watercolours, charcoals and oils of the Australian bush. Famous for defining the Australian landscape as an iconic symbol in the public mind, Heysen’s images are often dominated by massive strongly drawn gum trees, coloured in delicate pinks and blues, rich reds and deep ochres. Present in all Heysens’ works within the exhibition is the consistent reference to the sublime. The landscape is awesome, majestic, and terrifying, conjuring opposing feelings of pleasure and terror. Devoid of human presence, this sensation is heightened by the dramatic lighting effects employed by Heysen (particularly evident in his charcoal drawings) which add to a sense of being overwhelmed by this imposing environment.

The strength of Heysen’s influence can be physically traced in Ian Norths’ piece ‘Pseudo Panorama’. By appropriating a Heysen painting and a Cazneaux photograph, and using painted gestures to merge the elements within the two images together, North makes comment on the many layers inherent within the genre of Australian landscape painting.

Emotive responses to the landscape, such as Nikolaus Langs’ The Hare and the - Kangaroo, from the Roadkill series and similarly the piece Varrioota’s daydreams after his escape near Aroona Homestead, sees the creation of a decisive language that refers to the nature of the land without being overt and literal. Born in Oberammergau, Germany in 1941, Langs’ decisive method of researching indigenous cultures results in an intimate description of the landscape, reinstating that land is both diverse and fertile whilst being full of personal journeys and stories. Varrioota’s daydreams after his escape near Aroona Homestead, not only refers to a historical event of particular interest to the artist, the aesthetics of the image itself (a print from within a tree trunk showing insect ravage tracks) secures traces of past life like a secret language within this visual memory. The strong presence of the ritual of birth and death within Lang’s work pertains to a primordial, unwritten script, that is both familiar and yet unrecognisable.

Sally Smart’s response to the Flinders Ranges draws on a similar visceral exploration, with the creation of a personal visual language that resides in the depths of the subconsciousness. The work ‘Tree House (the Unhomely Body)’, created with large spidery felt canvas cut outs collaged together, refer to the artist’s response to the landscape and draws strongly on the power of memory and the imagination. In the artist’s statement Smart quotes, “The experience of the foothills lie like fragments of the body of a giant only ever partially seen”. The use of violet greys and deep maroons generate a sense of foreboding aiding in the manifestation of a subliminal response to the landscape rather than a tangible representation. When viewing this work the notion that the landscape can only ever be partially realised and comprehended due its infinite expanse begins to concrete in the mind of the viewer.

Emma Zakarevicius

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