Past | 'By The Creek' by Jessie Ford

‘By The Creek’

By Jessie Ford

24-29th May

Jessie Ford is a multidisciplinary artist living and working on Wurundjeri land. By The Creek is an expansion of Ford's artistic practice and reflects her appreciation of and reverence for the striking Australian landscape and unique vegetation. Over the past two years, Ford has explored spaces along the Birrarung (Yarra River) and its tributaries, these creeks flow through the Melbourne's north, connecting people and suburbs. In this body of work, each painting honours a certain place, tree, or simple moment of awe, captured by pausing and responding through colour, play and experimentation. Ford's work explores our interconnectedness with the natural environment and prompts the viewer to consider the deep symbiotic relationship we share with our environment.

"These places along the creeks are like a hidden sanctuary for me, which I am sure is true for many other locals. Outdoors amongst the grass, dirt, trees and birds, I focused on gestural marks that let me capture moment-to-moment impressions of these spaces while painting on impulse. I'd enjoy watching the light drift around a tree trunk, highlight a hanging gum leaf in bright gold or a grey Melbourne sky turning pink and yellow. I wanted to capture the wonderful range of natural greens, creamy white trunks of gumtrees and the wonderful unruliness of Australian vegetation.

"While painting by the creeks, the sounds around me also played an integral role in setting the mood of each painting. I wanted to create sound pieces to accompany the paintings, to further transport the audience into the space. In collaboration with musician and sound engineer Errol Green, field recordings made while painting were layered with ambient electronic synthesis in response to these field recordings. This aims to create an additional sensory experience in the gallery space, invoking the impression of being in and walking through these places, watching the light change, hearing the calls of currawongs and chatter of lorikeets as well as other locals enjoying the creek setting.”