March 18, 2007

Episode 1: A Grand Canvas





When Elka and I were invited to visit ‘the swamp’, by Elka’s friend and artist, Bronwyn Wright, I have to say, I wasn’t completely turned on by the prospect. But being a kiwi girl, virgin to the outback, visiting ‘The Swamp’ in Darwin’s suburban neighbourhood of Leanyer, proved to be an adventure well worth going on.

We met in the early evening, and set off in Bronwyn’s red jeep. Three of her dogs accompanied us, one traveled on the hood of the car, balancing like a ballerina, and the other two, were in the back seat with me. It was all dog smell, wet dirty paws, and happy dog smiles, out the back of the swaying vehicle.

The Dalmatian dogs, are the love of Bronwyn’s life, and run in and out of her photography, and her works of art. The t-shirt she wears, mimics their colouring.
They all celebrate the uniform of spots. Even Bronwyn’s statue of Michelangelo,
which stands guard out front of her house, has been outfitted with spots.

Bronwyn was taking us to her favourite place, her studio, Leanyer’s Swamp. It is a place where mosquito’s breed, spear grass grows two meters tall, and old cars go to die. It was these old cars, contextually out of place, and in such a beautiful surrounding area, that excited Bronwyn. She set about painting the cars in the colours and shapes of the surrounding environment, and then photographing her work. Each new car is a new canvas. And over a period of years, Bronwyn has developed her art form into a number of different, but valid lines of thought.

She has a website where you can view her work that it’s well worth the effort.
Check out: www.knockalong.com.au

contact us on beyondbabes@gmail.com

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