A Certain Light

Research Background: A Certain Light combines contemporary and traditional printmaking processes and relates to nineteenth century ways of referring to the sky and its phenomena prior to the popular use of photography. A small scale image in 2 distinct parts - the top a digital photograph and the bottom a relief etching - it describes and illustrates the sky through text and photographic image to create multiple ways of considering a cloudy sky and its colours, which has been of interest since the Romantic era of early 19th century. The descriptive text comes from a watercolour of that era, just before the invention of photography. Duxbury was curious about the ways image and text could be combined to produce a contemporary rendering of a Romantic theme. Research Contribution: Even though a small scale work A Certain Light addresses concerns of literary and pictorial Romanticism that could be considered relevant today such as a renewed interest in nature and emphasis on the imagination over reason. These themes are exemplified in the chine collé photographic image of the sky alongside the descriptive text taken from a nineteenth century watercolour, which set it apart from image only and text only works. Research Significance: A Certain Light was originally made for a local community printmaking project in Briagolong, Victoria in 2015 with the theme Genius Loci and exhibited there, later exhibited at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne. It was shortlisted for the long established Geelong Acquisitive Print Awards and subsequently acquired by the Geelong Gallery for their collection along with prints by artists such as Pat Brassington, Raymond Arnold and Bea Maddock. The judges included Wendy Garden, Senior Curator Mornington Peninsular Regional Gallery.