Untitled

Title

Untitled

Medium

Watercolour, ink, and wax on paper

Description

Painting of an abstract landscape done in watercolour, ink, and wax

Year

1971

Theme

Watercolour Techniques

Archives Control Number

(Abstract, 1970s), 1971-4

Photo Credit

Jason Cawood

Exhibition

At the Archway

Selected by

Kaeli Wood

Exhibition Description

This artwork shows the experimentation of techniques used to express a mountainous landscape. To make this artwork, Filer would first apply wax and layer watercolours on top to create the speckled look of the background. Then applied another layer of watercolour with a large brush and allowed the paint to drip down the surface. The last step is using a tiling trowel over the damp watercolor and India ink to create a consistent line texture. At a distance, this creates an obscured mountain landscape that leads your eyes around the peaks and ledges. What can you find hidden in the landscape?

Why This Piece Was Chosen

I chose this artwork because it was the one, I couldn’t stop looking at. The texture and gestural lines caused me to stare at it for hours and wonder what kind of stories are hidden in the landscape. The abstraction and techniques used are very interesting and caused me to wonder how many layers she applied and what all the different tools she would have used are. When I stood at a distance and stared at the artwork it felt like a realistic landscape that is jumping off the page to show a foggy obscured mountain site. I would experience elements of excitement as I discovered the large rocks and grass in the front, a bright blue sky, and the land flattening out tucked between the mountain peaks with a purple river flowing into the horizon.