After the Fire - Solo Exhibition at M16 Artspace in Canberra
In February 2018, the national park at Mount Canobolas just outside of Orange, and a place I spend a lot of time and find much inspiration, was ravaged by bushfire. I began painting this series in mid-2019, in response to seeing the way the bush was slowly recovering from the devastation. I am in awe of the resilience of the environment and its ability to adapt and regrow after natural disasters like drought and bushfire.
In the wake of this summer’s horror bushfire season the series seems even more topical and perhaps, even political. Whilst this is unintentional, I am deeply concerned about the scale of the loss of vegetation and natural habitat. Despite this, I remain hopeful for both recovery and change. This body of work is an ode to the Australian bush. It’s uniqueness and resilience, to me, is beautiful and something to be celebrated. Moments of quiet spent in the bush, when you manage to escape the white noise of civilization, are precious to me.
After the Fire, Madeline Young at M16 Artspace March, 2020
After the Fire, Madeline Young at M16 Artspace March, 2020
After the Fire, Madeline Young at M16 Artspace March, 2020
After the Fire, Madeline Young at M16 Artspace March, 2020