Morgan Williams
Mention art to many people and one of the most common reference points is a landscape painting. Humans have been depicting the natural world in some form for millennia. Early civilisations often depicted hunting scenes and included elements of nature too. As far back as Egyptian, Greek & Roman times landscapes were included in artwork to provide a sense of place. Detailed natural scenes became very common during the Renaissance and were popularised by the likes of Leonardo Da Vinci. Religious scenes from various art periods often included natural landscape scenes as a backdrop as well.
Landscape eventually became a focal point for paintings of large estates with vast gardens as a way to display wealth. Particularly prominent in the 17th and 18th century, the more grandiose and opulent, the greater the social standing and status. The notion of garden or the land being scaped become popular as a way to define the safe and secure place of home, as opposed to the unknown wilds of nature. In this way, land owners wanted paintings of their landscape to denote mastery of the wilds and their wealth for being able to tame nature into order and claim its beauty.
While early Australian artists were focused on recording the unique landscapes found here, there was also a trend to try and make the scenes look more English. Tree forms were sometimes exaggerated and distorted to appear European, providing comfort for new settlers who yearned for their homelands. Many trends have existed in landscape formats and styles over the years. From Classical & Romantic to Impressionist and Abstract, most genres have included landscape in the mix. It’s a very common starting point in art classes – a landscape is often easier to construct and teach than the human form. That’s not to say landscape is necessarily easy, it still takes a huge degree of skill and practice to master.
I remember spending hours as a teenager trying to copy my grandfather’s water colour landscapes after he died. It felt like I was bonded to him via art, and by studying his techniques he was still able to teach me things too.
When I travel, my default way to connect with the place I’m visiting, is often a sketch or painting of the local landscape. It slows me down; I become more observant; I look for something that captures a sense of place, a unique angle, sometimes nature, sometimes the built environment. That image usually becomes the strongest memory I take away with me, less instant than a photo, a personal link to a moment in time. It is fraught with issues, though. Creating in “Plein Air” invites observers to comment, critique, distract, advise, etc. It is also not always a relaxing experience. A few years ago, I got very excited about doing a water colour of Uluru. I quickly got bitten by ants, stung by prickles, had flies stuck in my eyes, and got continuously distracted by loud drones overhead. Not the relaxing connection I’d been dreaming of at all!
So why all this talk of landscapes? I’m glad you asked! We currently have an open call for entries to the annual Swiss Italian Festa Landscape exhibition at Radius. It’s been running for over 20 years now and has become a core element of the festival. It’s an open call for entries with several prizes including a $1,000 first prize. Entries close 13th Oct, full details and the entry form visit https://www.radiusart.com.au/
We would love to see your creations!
Morgan Williams is the co-director with Kim Percy of Radius Art Space. His art practice spans a 30 year period and explores a diverse range of mediums and topics.
