EXHIBITION: LILY MAE MARTIN: OVERBURDEN

Overburden addresses the legacy of Victorian Gold Rush mining and explores our relationship with, and perception of, the natural world. These recent drawings by Ballarat artist Lily Mae Martin are the result of a year of focussed research and visits to sites of past mining activity throughout the region. These drawings have their genesis in on-site sketches that were further developed in the studio resulting in exquisitely detailed pen and ink drawings. The use of black and white brings to these drawings a strong metaphoric association with truth-telling. Through the close observation of nature and the dedicated act of drawing, the artist strips away nature’s veneer of regeneration, bringing traces of environmental degradation to the fore and revealing the past trauma lurking under the surface of the land. ...