Fence and Three Camels
101 x 112 cms 2004
Some friends were setting up camel treks at Monarto Zoo and invited us along to act
as dummy tourists. Amongst a multitude of photos was this one of
Luke, waiting for everyone else.
As the composition shaped up in my mind I could see the 3 camels up there on the canvas, on a flat, dry plain with a strong diagonal across it.
Many original posts of sawn-down mallee trees still remain, rotting out in the countryside. This fenceline is round some shearing sheds.
Once I had my diagonal I still had a great lump of bare canvas, the soft shoulder of an unseen road. I painted it as heavily textured asphalt, both for its strength and also so I could nail it into place with that white line.
The crow was inevitable, as was the sheep's skull, which had been lying on a shelf for years.
** There are more notes on the fence on the 'Compare Fences' Page.
