My ‘en plein air’ works in the Tasmanian midlands landscape, over the last decade, lead me to research the activities of its rural workers, who remain predominantly unseen, as we travel our highways.

A group of multi layered, hand coloured lithographs, emulate in scale the homage of William Strutt’s (1825 – 1915) David’s First Victory (1868 Collection Art Gallery of New South Wales).

In the 1850s, an unknown artist responded in water colour to a dog chasing a wallaroo (Wallaroo and Dog, 1850 – 60 Collection of The National Gallery of Victoria) over a precipice. The painting left such an impression on me that, combined with my knowledge of the role of the roo dog in our history, it ensured my inclusion of the almost irrepressible, modern day farming companion.

I use lithography to satisfy a craving for new knowledge, and in deference to its use in 19th century Tasmanian art.

I place the rural workers, and their dogs, drawn and photographed during their toil, centrally and underpinned by their energetic activity.

Their vigorous, yet often hidden, work is essential, and watching them heightens the visceral nature of my landscape experience. The events I imagine, as a result of reading the harrowing tales of Tasmania’s first four decades of settlement, are also brought to life.

The landscape has become a quiet background to the production of this work, and is replaced by the lithographic limestone, the quiet and absorbent earth, into which I have drawn and etched each character, and from which I have reproduced this present day testimony.