Artist captures rhythms of Banyula forest

Echuca-based artist Ellen Lee is exhibiting a body of large-scale works on paper documenting Banyula State Forest in northern Victoria ‘Keeping Time’ at the Wangaratta Art Gallery until Sunday 18 October. Ellen’s depictions of the Banyula State Forest emerge from a practice of sustained immersion in and careful observation of the site, using watercolour, graphite, and pigment from organic matter such as leaf tannins and rust residue, to build pieces that map the rhythms of the bushland. Ellen said the works were inspired by her interest in the subtle changes that occur within the landscape over time. “[Including] the movement of water, shifting light and shadow, seasonal rhythms, birdlife, weather, and the traces left behind by these processes,” she said. Ellen’s creative process is about allowing the materials to work for themselves. “I aim to replicate the processes that naturally occur within the environment, so it is really becomes a process of facilitation,” she said. “I allow natural pigmentation, staining and water to respond to one another and to the surface of the paper.” The name of the exhibition, ‘Keeping Time’ came about when Ellen started getting more and more curious about the marks and surface interactions as isolated fragments, rather than experiencing them as part of a whole, which has been her previous approach. “I began to follow the markings as they progressed over time, seeing that push and pull of time transitioning,” she said. “The variations and adaptations really intrigued me, and bringing that narrative into my studio practice has been a really beautiful exploration for me.” Ellen said a focus for this body of work has been to hone in on the mark-making that this process of time allows. This includes the water lines fluctuating within the landscape through the movement of water, erosion, and weathering, as well as the gradual accumulation of pigment and material. The layers are built up, washed back, removed and reworked, allowing previous marks and traces to remain beneath the surface. In this way, the process of making mirrors the continual change occurring within the landscape. Ellen said to create the layers of pigment, she collected fallen leaves, branches and bark, to recreate the tannin filled water found in pockets throughout the bushland. “I am fascinated in the layering of pigment that occurs, from both prolonged exposure to the tannins, as well as the sustained development of the pigment itself,” she said. “The interactions with the paper, and the intervention of natural weather conditions really play a part in the colouring, and is such an interesting dynamic to observe. “I wanted to really push my practice in this area. “Developing the two three-metre long colour-based works took a lot of experimentation and patience, and I love that the pigments tell the narrative of passing time.” Ellen said she hoped viewers can get lost in the works and find connections to their own landscapes. “I’m interested in creating works where people can slow down and spend time observing, in a similar way to how I have spent my time in creating the work,” she said. “Perhaps they can get a little lost within the markings and layers, and find connections to their own landscape, and experiences in nature. “Although the work is specific to Banyula State Forest, I think there is there is a universality in the mark making of the environment that people can connect with, be it in the trails of lines, the layers of pigment, the waterlines, or the accumulation of marks.” The official launch for Keeping Time and Tannic Bonds, another exhibition coming soon to Wangaratta Art Gallery, will be held on Saturday 19 September from 4:30pm, all are welcome.

Artist captures rhythms of Banyula forest

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