Lyndal Hargrave’s work is a celebration of the beauty of the natural world and the power of art to capture the essence of time and place. There is progression and impermanence across the work, mirroring moments of personal transition Hargrave herself experiences while in the studio. Her shimmering compositions inspire contemplation and introspection, allowing an opportunity to consider the constant push-pull of life and how we impact and are impacted by our surroundings.
‘Family, art and travel are my passions in life. In 2022 I was able to indulge in all three on an 8000 km roadtrip dissecting this vast country through its very heart. A long awaited exploration of the Simpson Desert in our trusty 4WD and small tent morphed into a circuit of epic proportions due to flooded roads across three states.
The desert after rain is green, pastoral and full of life; beautiful but not the red centre I was hoping for. Then we neared Uluru. Deep blue skies against burnt orange cliffs took my breath away. Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon and the West MacDonnell ranges with their ancient rock forms and inky waterholes fed my soul.
Back in the studio, relying on memory and some photographs, I revisited this odyssey and other journeys I have taken, searching for the essence of a place. Working rapidly and abstracting the landscape into blocks of colour, I was able to create visual diaries of my travels.’
Lyndal Hargrave has a Diploma of Education in Fine Art from the Queensland University of Technology. She was the winner of the 2011 Mosman In Situ Sculpture Award, a finalist in the International Lace Award at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, twice a finalist in the Blake Prize Directors Cut Exhibition and a finalist in the Stan and Maureen Duke Prize. Collections include Artbank, The Gold Coast City Gallery, Redland City Council, Ipswich Grammar School and Greenslopes Hospital.
Image: Waterhole, West MacDonnell Ranges 2022, oil on canvas, 45 x 61 cm
