I was Artist in Residence at the William Creek Hotel in the remote north of South Australia when it rained.
A storm came and the land was flooded, extending my stay and bringing dramatic changes to the land around Lake Eyre.
To experience lightning flashing across a limitless horizon and then the long pause before the sound of rolling thunder was unforgettable. And then all of a sudden the rains came and the water was there – it completely takes over the land and changes it instantly.
One of the astonishing things about the water is that it’s so unexpected and incongruous. When it appears it’s quite mystical – as though we’re seeing something that it’s not our place to see.
These works are painted on flat sheets of galvanised steel using a technique I developed for the exhibition.
They’re abstracts – painted from an aerial perspective a bit like maps. I’ve been developing this technique of spraying and spattering the paint for the last fifteen years and it progresses to suit the subject of each new series of works.
Getting home after the rain was fun – luckily a band of travellers took me under their wing, gave me a CB radio and took me out in their convoy. When we made out to the dry bit I put on impromptu show for them with the canvas works I did up there.
