Bush Hen Dreaming 1997

Abie Loy Kemarre made "Bush Hen Dreaming", using tiny dots of paint to map out a whole world. It’s like looking at a constellation, each dot a star in a personal universe. Up close, you can see the intense labor, the almost meditative process, of placing each dot, one by one. The texture feels almost tactile, like you could reach out and feel the grit of the earth. And then there's that one bright spot – a golden sun, perhaps? – that pulls everything together. It’s not just a painting, it’s a record of time, of being in a place, of dreaming. I’m reminded of Agnes Martin, in how she used repetition to evoke the sublime. It shows how painting can be about something bigger than just what’s on the canvas. It's about the endless possibilities of seeing and feeling.