Sandhills 2004

Kathleen Petyarre’s ‘Sandhills’ is an evocation of place rendered in earth tones, a landscape distilled through the act of painting. There's a real sense of process here; you can see how the painting was built up, layer upon layer, through a kind of intuitive mark-making. The ochre surface, punctuated with flecks of pale gold, has a tactile quality, like gazing at sun-baked earth. The paint isn't about illusion, it's about presence. It's neither thin nor thick, but each mark feels like a conscious decision, building into something more than the sum of its parts. There's a quiet energy in the details, a visual rhythm that reminds me of Agnes Martin's grids, but with a distinctly organic, less geometric feel. Ultimately, 'Sandhills' embraces ambiguity. It invites us to slow down, to look closely, and to find our own way into its subtly complex world.