High Jinks in the Hydrangeas • Tamara Dean
High Jinks in the Hydrangeas, the new work by Tamara Dean, explores her psychological response to the lockdown and her connection to nature.
Tamara Dean. Image courtesy of the artist and Michael Reid - Sydney + Berlin1/21Dawn Dance
Tamara Dean. Image courtesy of the artist and Michael Reid - Sydney + Berlin2/21Close to the Earth
Tamara Dean. Image courtesy of the artist and Michael Reid - Sydney + Berlin3/21‘I wrap my face in her cloak of petals and breathe deeply’Finding pleasure and relief in the simple act of being in a garden and immersing myself in the scents, textures and dusky late light has been my way of finding my peace.
Tamara Dean. Image courtesy of the artist and Michael Reid - Sydney + Berlin4/21‘Discombobulation’In 2020 my sense of home went from one of terror with the Currowan fire tearing through our region, and only three months later to a refuge in which to socially isolate due to the pandemic.This made life take on a strange, surreal quality, as though my reality had tipped upside down.
Tamara Dean. Image courtesy of the artist and Michael Reid - Sydney + Berlin5/21‘Fleeting’The cherry blossom is known for its short lived bloom, and is known to symbolise transience and the ephemeral nature of life.Here my two figures are encompassed in these blossoms, taking this seasonal moment to enjoy the heady, gentle pleasure of being amongst flowers and nature during the lockdowns. I have altered the hue, referring to the surreal experience of my environment changing colour through the smoky haze of the fires. Although here I have chosen a cool colour for relief.
