Fernando do Campo
Two found landscapes at the foot of kunanyi/Mount Wellington, lutruwita/Tasmania 2023
synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Sydney
Artist statement:
I am interested in how a notion of landscape enters a place and produces future readings and representations of that locale. 'Landscape' is carried by humans, objects and stories. My hands are holding two objects that I found at the Hobart tip shop, which is located at the foot of kunanyi/Mount Wellington, a frequented site for most locals. The objects are odd hand-painted wooden carvings, likely crafted in Scandinavia or Northern Europe, certainly reminiscent of locations that don't look like lutruwita/Tasmania. However, these landscapes have entered the island and are performing their notion of 'landscape' here. My painting ponders the magnetic tension I feel every time my hands sift through 'landscapes' at the foot of kunanyi, I look down in curiosity, and I stare up in awe. Both landscapes equally complex and exhilarating to me as they infect each other.