This current body of work carries the generic title of the green pick. It references new growth and visually symbolizes the changing seasons. I started this series in late autumn and although the Wimmera landscape is suffering serious drought the notion of the green pick is folklore in this country. Sometimes called the first pick by local farmers this transformation of the land- scape is manifestly reliant on rainfall. The occurrence of fire adds a special element to the green pick and it’s this phenomenon that intrigues me as an artist.
When the Aboriginals migrated to Australia they saw the benefits of lightning as it created fire, the result being the lush green growth of vegetation. They proceeded to create their own means of cultivating the land by using fire. Traditional Aboriginals used fire for hunting to flush out their prey. They created fire to make areas accessible for walking, to encourage a green pick for na- tive animals and to stimulate the growth of bush food. Fire was also actively used for signalling and for spiritual reasons. Aboriginals still use fire as a means of hunting, and as a regime for managing their native pastures.
Fire is also an important tool for the control of wildfire and it is important to remember that Aus- tralia has evolved with fire and that fire will continue to be a major part of the natural ecosystem.
Having grown up on the land where fire is a vital tool in the day-to-day existence of life it seems only logical to use it as a mechanism for my own creative practice. I often wonder as I’m wash- ing the burnt residue from my work whether a green pick will routinely appear.
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