The dialectic gaze
(2022)
Medium
type C photographs on metallic paper, offset prints on aluminium and polished steel, gesso and iridescent wash, wood
Measurements
(a-tt) 278.4 × 240.0 × 11.9 cm (installation)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2022
© Danie Mellor
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
Danie Mellor is a contemporary artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores the intersections of contemporary and historic culture. His re-evaluation of iconic landscape traditions is informed by his connection to place through his Aboriginal and European heritage, and ongoing preoccupation with the Australian landscape and its cultural histories. The images in The dialectic gaze, drawn from archival sources, show pristine and altered landscapes, traditional owners and colonial settlers. These historical photographs build a snapshot of life unfolding and changing over a short period during colonial invasion in northern Queensland. The staging and posing evident in many photographs is a potent way of considering the spectacle and theatre of colonial expansion, as is the display of the pictures in this crowded hang.