Midlands - Tasmania 

The Midlands project explores the region of Tasmania  connecting Launceston in the north of the State to its capital in Hobart in the south. The Midlands Highway is used not as a literal project but as a metaphor for a landscape that spreads out well beyond the highway. By using the highway as a kind of starting point I weave in and out exploring this vast, varied and isolated landscape. The project explores the relationship between the built and rural landscape exploring how the European settlers brought with them ideals and values that is evident in the colonial architecture as well as influencing the rural landscape throughout the Midlands. This project aims to explore how history can shape how a place is both imagined and realised, juxtaposed with contemporary reality. Midlands was conceived through my many road trips to each end of the island, these trips subconsciously and consciously allowed me to ask questions and form ideas through the hours of travel and making photographs. The highway provides a connection, and it seems at times to be a functional route to get to and from the main cities, rattling along in a vehicle shielded from the cold vastness outside of our box. The tourist guides will have most people travelling to the tourist drawcards and indeed there are several dotted along the Midlands highway. The colonists brought their memories of the homeland through architecture, and plantings of trees and plants from the old country, providing a familiarity in a landscape that was so alien. The contemporary context has many similarities, we get from point A to B, tourists photograph idyllic versions of history with sandstone and elms and stop over for a bite to eat and then onwards to our journey to "civilisation" 

In 2016 I was awarded an artist-in-residence by the Southern Midlands Council. This residency was integral in providing me with the time and access to the landscape required to be able to fully immerse myself in and to explore and experiment with concepts. I thank the Southern Midlands Council for this opportunity in providing me the opportunity to experience and practice my craft in this beautiful region.The Midlands project explores the region of Tasmania connecting Launceston in the north of the State to its capital in Hobart in the south. The Midlands Highway is used not as a literal project but as a metaphor for a landscape that extends well beyond the highway. By using the highway as a reference I weave in and out traversing this varied, isolated, haunting and evocative landscape. The project is an exploration of the relationship between the built and rural landscape exploring how the European settlers brought with them ideals and values that is are evident in the colonial architecture as well as influencing the rural landscape throughout the Midlands. This project investigates how history can shape the myriad of ways in which a place is both imagined and realised, juxtaposed with contemporary reality. The project was conceived as a result of my many road trips to each end of the island, these trips subconsciously and consciously allowing me to ask questions and form ideas through the untold hours of travel and making photographs. The highway provides a connection, and it seems at times to be a functional route to get to and from the main cities, rattling along in a vehicle shielded from the cold vastness outside of our box. 

The tourist guides will have most people travelling to the tourist designated drawcards, and indeed there are several dotted along the Midlands highway. The colonists brought with them their ideas of what constitutes a home and memories of the homeland through architecture, and plantings of trees and plants from the old country, providing a familiarity in a landscape that was to them so alien. The contemporary context has many similarities, we get from point A to B, tourists photograph idyllic versions of history with sandstone and elms and stop over for a bite to eat and then onwards in our journey to "civilisation" In 2016 I was awarded an artist-in-residence by the Southern Midlands Council. This residency was integral in providing me with the time and access to the landscape required to be able to fully immerse and familiarise myself in the landscapes, and to explore and experiment with concepts. I thank the Southern Midlands Council for providing me with  the opportunity to experience and practice my craft in this breathtakingly beautiful and inspiring region.