ADRIENNE DOIG

Martin Browne Contemporary is pleased to present a new exhibition by Adrienne Doig that continues her exploration of portraiture, this time situated within the Australian landscape. Doig states “In my portraits I want to record more than a physical likeness, something about the personality and even beliefs of the person portrayed. In these works I sought to document experiences with nature and the changing environment. I see these works as a kind of witness statement that records our relationship with the natural world in 2015”.

Based on her observations and experiences as well as on news stories and political events, these works look at the destruction of the landscape, alongside the effects of and responses to climate change. In this new series, Doig utilises patchwork and appliqué to which she adds a new painted element. Often she works directly onto fabric off cuts, en plein air fashion, in the bush near her home. While some scenes record damage and destruction, the use of pattern, texture and layering combine to create a powerful almost kaleidoscopic view of the Australian landscape that contains beauty and vibrancy within the devastation. Close-up details are juxtaposed with panoramic views and scenes recalled from her daily bushwalks. Recent experiences of bushfires and encounters with birdlife are represented alongside more prosaic observations of nature, including patterns in leaf matter, bark or even mud. All these elements are worked together with images of herself, family and friends interacting with nature to construct a richly varied view of the land, and our place within it.