Babette Robertson in 2019

Footpath
06.12. - 22.12.2019

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Babette Robertson ‘(short) Walk 2’, 2019, found pigment, ink and gouache on paper (11 x 8 cm), 38 x 33 cm

“Footpath contains impressions of ecological and social footprints. Disrupting anthropocentrism, observing subtleties and contemplating our place, my works start with the body and with walking. The act of walking is a passageway into thought and contemplation. Rather than walking toward apparent manifestations of human production, such as urban infrastructure and digital engineering, my decision is to walk away from such stimuli.

I am not under the illusion that I can “walk out” of the Anthropocene; by entering a place that is less recognisably altered by humans, I begin to perceive the effect of human activity on less visible yet vital elements, such as air, water, vegetation and geology. Human inscriptions are brought into relief; for instance, the effects of a drought or a trodden down track. I respond with some sense of agency by finding a specific detail to keep communication alive, for example, a bone or stick that is transformed into an artwork back in the studio. By walking away from the ‘social centre,’ I travel in and out of defined areas; crossing a concrete road in the middle of bushland or working from a canoe to observe the erosion on a riverbank.”

Click here to read the full artist statement for Babette Robertson’s ‘Footpath’

 


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