Zoe Anne Woods
Abbotsleigh
WORLD AT MY FEET: EN PLEIN AIR
Printmaking
Lino printing, woodblock printing
My body of work conveys the restorative power of nature that I experience at my family's property in Capertee. It examines moments of pause in the natural world, with the intention of forming a visual journal of presence, landscape and tranquility in the countryside. The recurring motif of the tent window represents a threshold between inner contemplation and the vastness of the landscape, inviting the audience to pause and reflect.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Cressida Campbell, Tom Carment, Ashley Frost.
Marker's Commentary
World at my feet: en plein air is a series highly engaging autobiographical survey of landscapes from the student’s world. The knowing exploration of the rural landscape are framed by the ‘window’ of an open tent. The block prints are sensitively painted with a restrained palette of soft hues in predominately tertiary colours. The view to the outside world offers a vignette of the landscape while also disclosing these observations in the artists diary, located in reach of the figure’s legs. This portable diary also forms part of the submission as ‘en plein air’ evidence of site, echoing the selected views being depicted and the practice of the artist.
Representation of subject matter across a range of locations vary along with the conditions documented throughout the compositional arrangements. The eight prints of the landscape are distinctively presented in the ‘portrait’ format. The layered cutout presentation of the prints positions the audience inside the tent, looking out as if this is their own view. These invite the audience to investigate the subtleties of the landscape, the unique settings and the intimate journey observing the Australian environment. These images recall artists such as Tom Carment, with the control of colour and sensitive, personal portrayals of landscape evoking reflection through quiet observations and tranquil viewpoints.