Lake Eyre sublime

Recently we were up in Perth and one of the exhibitions we went to was Salt, a series of photographic works by Murray Fredericks. His images filled a room in the Fremantle Arts Centre and is on till May 13th. This was one of many photographic exhibitions currently on in Perth. His images of Lake Eyre were sublime, enormous canvases of pure colour, ground disappearing into the sky with a hint of horizon. Lakes of colour. Pure space.

Apparently Fredericks would camp out there for weeks at a time, becoming absorbed into the environment no doubt. And being there to capture those special moments. He used a camera with 10 x 8 inch photographic plate - the images from this size plate just pulled me in - mesmerising. For those who don't know, Lake Eyre is an immense salt lake, roughly 1,350,000 hectares, 15 metres below sea level and generally dry - a vast salt landscape. At the moment it in a fabulously rare wet stage thanks to all the rain in Queensland and New South Wales. 

 Just to whet your appetite here are some of his images - try to imagine them as ultra huge canvases. According to Fredericks his work tries to extend beyond the surface viewing of  landscape to a mental space of pure experience, leaving conscious thought behind. Truly it was an experience standing in front of those images. His work even has an anthropological angle as his website states that Fredericks 'has a perspective that views culture as something that cannot be wholly accounted for through social construct. It's a view that sees some values as derived from a time-less essence.' I guess that essence could be the emotional connection to country that one feels when camped out in the bush - absorbing the experience of being in the moment, leaving behind all the clutter of our modern lives - as well as the spiritual connection to country that is part of many cultural belief systems today. I think that connection is outside of self and outside of time ...

If you ever have the chance to see some of his work - DO SO. Thank you Murray, it was so worth the drive to Perth.
Link to Murray Fredericks website.