Year
2007
Degree Name
Master of Creative Arts Research
Department
Faculty of Creative Arts
Recommended Citation
Roby, Ruth, Imprint of a landscape: a Yarrawa Brush story, MCA thesis, Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, 2007. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/15/
Abstract
The Yarrawa Brush landscape, situated on the Robertson Plateau just above the Illawarra escarpment, has long been a place of solace and connectedness for me, documented over the years through intensely worked etchings. My immersion in that specific landscape over time, and my research into the Aboriginal and white settler history has left an indelible imprint on my sense of self and an awareness of loss. As Allen Carlson has noted, three of the major art-philosophical texts produced over the second half of the last century have neglected the Aesthetics of Nature. Focusing on the field of environmental aesthetics, this thesis argues for the value of experiencing the natural environment. It situates my etchings and digital video in relation to work by colonial artist Louisa Atkinson (1834-1872), who resided near the Yarrawa Brush district at the time of early settlement, and contemporary artist John Wolseley (b1938).
Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.