EXHIBITION (March) : "Around Balawan 2017"

Hannah Axelsen

Around Balawan 2017

C-Type photographs on Hahnemuhle photo rag 

297 x 420 mm

The Bundian Way is an ancient shared pathway, used by Aboriginal people from Yuin, Ngarigo, Jaitmathang, Bidawal Country that provided a safe passage between the coast and the high country. Different groups would gather on the shores of Turemulerrer (Twofold Bay, NSW) during the spring whale migration and then travel 365km to ceremonial places near Targangal (Mount Kosciuszko, NSW) for the Bogong gatherings in summer. Around Balawan is a personal response to two field trips made to the Bundian Way.

These photographs aim to highlight aspects of the environment that may be ignored. Through documenting small, everyday details of my immediate environment, I aim to call attention to these often overlooked elements of country. A way of appreciating and noticing the environment on the trip to the Bundian Way, for me, was to be present and to pause. The use of a medium format film camera allowed me to do this, as it takes a lot of time and care to set up one photograph.

Overall, this work invites the viewer to slow down, reflect and remove themselves from the chaotic and often destructive society, in which many of us live. It encourages the viewer to appreciate and respect the environment in which we inhabit and share.