‘Evanescence’
October 23rd - November 7th, 2019.
Colville Gallery, Salamanca Place, Hobart.
The titles of the works in this exhibition are from locations I used to dive the kelp forests. They have vanished from the majority of these sites.
I’m angry, and tired.
I have dived Tasmania’s waters for over thirty years. I remember these kelp forests, their majesty, their diversity. And how prolific they were.
When I began to gather research for this exhibition, I was horrified. I knew that there was pressure on these forests, but I was unprepared for the extent of their disappearance. 95 percent have vanished.
How dare we.
I have driven hundreds of kilometres, and spent three dedicated days at sea, with people whose knowledge of both Tasmania’s coasts and underwater landscape are far superior to mine. We asked researchers and fishermen.
And we found one strand. Detached from the bottom, drifting. A perfect, heartbreakingly intact lone plant.
How dare we.
And I realised the unique position I was in. These kelp forests exist in my memory, and those of my generation. My children will not tell stories of them to my grandchildren. So here they are, drawn from my old photos and lived experience, and that of friends who dived with me.
An excerpt from the reply of one friend when I wrote asking if he had any images...
“...the very last stand of Macro in Munro Bight. These were taken in July 2012. The forest was completely demolished in the summer of 2015/16 from a good stand in December '15 to zero by April '16.
This was a result of the same El Nino that whited out the Barrier reef the same year.”
How dare we.
For those who would avert their eyes, for the self interested, the disinterested, who would deny that we have done this...
look.
There will not be young artists coming behind me who will depict these. They exist in my memory.
We did this.
Jane James, October, 2019.
I would like to acknowledge the generous assistance of two old friends in realising the works in this exhibition. Thank you to Jon Bryan of Seanature and Mick Baron of Eaglehawk Dive Centre. Your reference photos were invaluable, thank you so much. Thank you to Lisa DeBoer of GlassXpressions for her assistance firing the glass pieces in the exhibition. Thank you to Brett Wilson and Avril Brown for your knowledge and the voyage on Alcazar looking for the kelp.