A curious nature

The landscape as an artistic genre holds a venerable position within the history of Western civilisation: it is however, essentially a cultural construct. Through the work of seven contemporary Australian artists practicing in the realm of photo-media, this exhibition explored the landscape—whether in its natural and urban forms, or as painted backdrops—as a theatre or setting for the enactment of elaborate narratives.

Working in the format of still or moving images to record stylised poses or movements—often of a peculiar or absurdist nature, which the artists perform themselves or direct others to act out—Kate Bernauer, Siri Hayes, Gabriella Mangano, Silvana Mangano, Polixeni Papapetrou, Jacqui Stockdale, and Christian Thompson introduce an additional layer of intrigue or meaning upon the landscape: literally presenting a staged moment or action within a constructed scene.