2021
Cyanotype on silk with pine dowel
1000mm (H) x 500mm (W) x 12mm (D)
This piece responds to the continued deterioration of the natural environment of Aotearoa. An early cameraless photography process has been employed to capture contact prints of kauri leaves on a silk panel, an intimate process. Informed by victorian mourning traditions, it carries guilt, sadness and helplessness in witnessing this phenomenon, alongside awe for the natural world and what has been.
Hannah Rose Arnold's photographs document the physical and social landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand with gentle nostalgia. She treats her subjects with a sense of curiosity and grace, born of a transient nature.
Arnold's ongoing practice draws links between the physical and psychological spaces in which we dwell - exploring themes of faith, trauma, redemption and sense of place, through a variety of mediums. Arnold is interested in storytelling, folklore and the complex social and environmental histories of this land. Her work is informed by colonial history, a rambling upbringing and a deep concern for, and connection with, the environment.