Dale KENTWELL

After Art school, I continued my interest in environmental ideas, studying bush regeneration and bushland management. Remnant vegetation and its preservation along with social issues have become a major concern for me and my art practice has followed alongside. I weave these ideas through my work. A sort of story telling.

I began playing with language, using the latin name of the vegetation in the landscape or the interiors I painted as titles to the work helping to ground the works geographically and as a formal element. I then developed a narrative which played with or changed the image. The title and narrative I burn into a timber panel below the work. The series titled Mum speaking Latin with a Singlet Tan has been published as a book by Interactive Publications  '09.

The series " Saltwater Country " is the result of a collaboration with The Dampier Peninsula Peoples. Their land has been compromised by the continuing divisive tactics used by our government against our indigenous peoples. Working with the Dampier Peninsula People I have used the same techniques, grounding the works geographically by using the local bush name for the dominant vegetation or item within the frame. The narratives in these works are about the lives and concerns of the people I sketched in their land and painted in their landscapes. Some chose to use their bush or traditional name. These beautiful and generous people supported my work so readily it was a pleasure to be with them. A percentage of profits from any sales will be fed back into a community project.

Contact: daleck@tpg.com.au

• 2 D (painting/printmaking/drawing/illustration/cartoons)