‘Tonalities of Time: The Forgotten Ways’ Galerie Dusseldorf, Perth, WA, 2006

Tonalities Of Time – The Forgotten Ways 2006

Galerie Dusseldorf, Western Australia

Over the past year and a half I have been researching and experimenting with the historical painting techniques of the Old Masters. In July 2004 I received a Development Grant from ArtsWa to do this research at the Centre for Research and Restoration for French Museums which is located within the Musee du Louvre in Paris France. And again in July 2005 I traveled to Maastricht in The Netherlands to study at the Limbourg Restoration Centre, an intensive course in the historical painting techniques. The paintings seen in this exhibition are a result of the knowledge acquired from these two periods of learning.


The paintings in the show are figurative atmospheric landscape works based on subject matter derived from two different sources. Firstly the more classical Parc de Saint Cloud series are interpretations of the French photographer Eugene Atget’s photographs of Parc de Saint Cloud in the early 1900’s and my own experience of the Park. The park is located just outside of Paris and was designed in its later stages by the landscape architect Andre Le Notre. I was attracted by Le Notre’s eloquent design sense and the subtle tonalities and elusive moods of Atget’s photographs. The paintings have been titled after Atget’s titles of his photographs.

The second series is of Waychinicup which is located in the south west of Western Australia.. Waychinicup represents to me a place that is virtually untouched by human intervention; it is a landscape that has been beautifully designed by time and the elements. Waychinicup in its own particular way also possesses the subtle tonalities and elusive moods of Parc de Saint Cloud. The paintings Pond 1 and Pond 2 are dealing with the passage of time. The information for Pond1 was gathered 15 years earlier than Pond 2 They are both of the same places. Small trees have grown and some have fallen. The differences are subtle but present. Here is a landscape that was inhabited by Australia’s indigenous people’s, it was their place of Emu dreaming for me their presence is still felt.

Both Parc de Saint Cloud and Waychinicup are both exceptional and unique in their own way. I have used the historical painting techniques to explore ‘that which has been forgotten

Jill Kempson 2006

Photography by Pascal Veydradier