The ‘Reflecting on 2018‘ series began as I pondered photographs I had made in 2018. I wondered about their meaning and purpose, not just for myself but for what they represent in the bigger picture and the world we occupy. As I’ve written before, if several billion new photos’s are created every day, how can just one be of any significance at all? And if it is significant, how long will it remain that way?
I’m not trying to be pessimistic, but I do want to pause and consider the why behind the things we do.
This photograph features a canyon wall in Mutawintji New South Wales, an area of special significance to the local Aboriginal people. Mutawintji has been through its fair share of mess caused by settlement and climate change, and is currently overrun by feral goats. The goats were first released by early pastoralists and are now damaging significant aboriginal artworks, eroding soils, competing with wallabies for food and endangering native plant species.
To me this photograph speaks of the fragility and strength in the Mutawintji land.
