Discontent

Discontent (2012)
Letterpress on Fabriano Tiepolo 290gsm paper,
350 x 350mm. Edition of 20.

DISCONTENT
There comes a time
when the familiar
becomes unbearable
has been shared too often
and there is an overwhelming urge
to set forth
to seek the unknown
to create new
(dis)content.

The 2012 Transit of Venus (when the planet Venus crosses the sun) was the last in our lifetime. According to the Transit of Venus Australia website,

Transits of Venus occur in a pattern that repeats every 243 years with pairs of transits eight years apart separated by gaps of 121½ years and 105½ years. Venus and the Earth are aligned in the same direction out from the Sun about every 584 days (this is called in conjunction), however a transit does not occur each time because Venus’s orbit is usually above or below the Sun in the sky. Since the phenomena was first recognized there have only been six transits of Venus – 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874, 1882 and the most recent one in 2004. The 6th June 2012 transit is our last opportunity to observe a transit of Venus, as the next event occurs on 11th December 2117.

Dr Ursula Frederick curated an exhibition at the ANU Photospace Gallery to mark this event. She wrote:

The Transit of Venus as it is known to us today encapsulates many narratives and images. As well as representing the scientific pursuit of knowledge, in its failures and accomplishments, it alerts us to the very human longing to find our place in the universe. It resonates with the desires and difficulties of journeying, the aspirations of discovery, and the historical consequences that follow. A silhouette and a bright sun—the Transit of Venus realises the beauty and intrigue of envisioning the unobserved and the unknown.

This exhibition is timed to mark the final Transit of Venus in our lifetimes. The artworks within it may be viewed as a suite of contemporary ‘observations’. They are not direct observations or scientific illustrations of the kind sought in previous centuries. They are instead oblique and reflective, drawing upon prominent themes that underscore the transit and its implications for Australia rather than literal recordings of the event itself. These themes are enfolded throughout the exhibition as contemporary artistic engagement with: celestial phenomena and the night sky; maritime voyaging and transitional states; James Cook and the enterprise of the Endeavour; and the pursuit of scientific knowledge, instrumentation and mapping.

I wrote and printed Discontent for this exhibition.
I was inspired by Cook’s southern voyage: What makes humans want to push away from where they are safe and relatively happy? Why do we want to push others out of their comfort zones?

WINNER

Non-acquisition award ($5,000), Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award (supported by Little Creatures Brewing). Also acquired for the City of Fremantle collection.