"Maps of Horses:1959-2014"

Dry point etching: detail from Maps of Horses:1959

 "The Maps of Horses" is a new series of dry-point and spit-bite etchings of horses embedded with cartographic-like notations. Made on aluminium plates the series extends the recent book projects that combined a similar use of surface numbering. This is a direct reference to the sketches made by botanical artist Ferdinand Bauer during his gathering of studies of Australian flora and fauna as part of Matthew Flinders circumnavigation of Australia in 1802/03. Bauer had a system where by each of the numerical notations within his pencil sketches referenced a chart of over 250 colour variations that he would use for the creation of colour illustrations having returned to his studio. The only difficulty was that Bauer had to extend his colour palette to over one thousand due to the unique tonal variations he experienced in Australia. The mapping of horses is a combination of personal narratives and historical sensibility. My father owned and trained race horses and my childhood was a familiar space shared with horses. 

 Like maps these horses are seemingly fixed to some historical narrative that are hopefully embedded with a sense of more personal stories.

 

Maps of Horses:1969

Maps of Horses:1976