That which is seen, unseen. A blur, movement, light falling, light passing. The transformation of what is known, what is understood. A mystery revealed, an opening into another world. The detail taken out of context, the beauty of the ordinary taken to new heights…
Art makes us see things anew, in a different light, out of context, observing the familiar and unfamiliar, noticing all and transforming into another realm, a new understanding…
Based in the United Arab Emirates for the past few years, I am now dividing my time between Warrnambool in South West Victoria and Dubai. I have returned to the landscape that has always inspired me, the vast farming area of the Western District, with paddocks punctuated by Cypress trees, acting as windbreaks, some ravaged by time and the elements. The skies are large, the clouds ever changing, the weather in constant flux and movement. Overwhelmed by the fresh air after years in the United Arab Emirates, I am embracing the reconnection with the landscape; noticing all the details whilst immersed in the changing seasons.
The experience of the landscape rejuvenates me and constantly inspires my work. I am drawn to the dramatic silhouettes of dusk and twilight, the drama of the ocean, the shadows flittering and swaying through dappled light. Silhouettes of Pine trees have been explored throughout my work of the last 30 years; their forms shift into natures shadows, where what is revealed and concealed accentuates what remains.
Kathryn Ryan
July 2017