Caroline Rannersberger | Sentiment and Sedimentation
In her latest exhibition Caroline Rannersberger explores the improvisation of the painting process when working on site, and the importance of the direct encounter with the land to her practice.
A resident on Bruny Island, Rannersberger’s practice is driven by connection to place – and in this exhibition responding to the Isthmus formation joining the north and south islands known as “The Neck”. The eccentric shape is a product of a layering of sand and the land mass upheavals over millennia, inspiring Rannersberger’s evocative painting method to capture this fusion of “sediment” and “sedimentation”. Through each layer of paint, each brush mark builds upon the other, creating a kind of painterly sedimentation over time.
Rather than just an illustration of a landscape, Rannersberger’s approach is in tune with immersing herself in the environment, creating images that articulate her experience.
With the environment sharing the role as composer, Caroline described the process, “With each gust of wind the heavy paper blew across the sand; the scrub and dunes leaving their own mark as the twigs and leaves and sand scraped the paint along the surface of the paper. The paint dribbled and flowed around the page in sync with the wind movement and the rain. Stone like surfaces erupted from the repellent inks and mediums then suddenly froze as the sun burst through the clouds and immediately parched the paper.”
“It seemed natural that rock formations should begin to emerge, almost of their own volition. Capping the Neck on the northern end is the Hounds Tooth formation and on the south is the Fluted Cape and Penguin Island. These massive geomorphological features create part of the system that helps push sand onto the dunes to create the isthmus.”
Deeply in tune with the landscape, Rannersberg’s works evoke the moody windswept landscapes of Bruny Island. Varying greatly each is a testament to the artist’s honest response to her setting, with the tonal works emotively reflecting the different weather patterns and atmospheres of the day.
EXHIBITION
Caroline Rannersberger |Sentiment and Sedimentation
16 March -10 April
Despard Gallery
Courtesy the artist and Despard Gallery
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