Portfolio > Gesso Drawings

Souvenirs from an Unknown Itinerary
Souvenirs from an Unknown Itinerary
Gesso on rag paper
153 x 123 cm
2014

Reflecting on the history and provenance of souvenirs, this work pursues an interest in the question of how we come to know the world, seeking to reveal a distinction between empirical knowledge and the imagination. Encountering the collection of souvenir spoons from unknown journeys prompted me to investigate ways in which I could reference the unfamiliar and unseen locations from which the souvenirs came. I was interested in transforming the familiar objects into translucent forms through a process that records proximity to an object yet relies on tactile rather than visual knowledge.

This work was made for the 2014 City of Hobart Art Prize