Valley Within

Valley Within was first exhibited as a winning submission to Hornsby Shire Council’s 2018 ‘Head-On’ photo festival.

It is a series of photographs that explore the beauty that lies hidden within the Australian bush and the creative potential that comes from a simple suburban bushwalk in Sydney. The following is taken taken from exhibition catalogue , authored the gallery host at The Wallarobba Arts and Cultual Centre.

“The Australian native environment that surrounds Sydney is seemingly short of vibrant colour. Its veneer is a dry, matted gumtree-green with dying shades of yellowing brown beneath. The photos are drawn from a bushland fire trail that David traversed for seventeen years - walking, watching, looking, and seeing. “

“A macro lens can reveal aspects of flora that would remain hidden by an incidental, uninvited casual glance. These photos begin with a ‘seeing’ , not just watching or looking. This micro avenue has allowed me to explore the flora from a different perspective - a landscape of a hidden world that begins from the moment of seeing.“ says David.

The contrast of light and dark, stillness and movement, colour and texture is central to the exhibition. Photos were composed through the lens at the time of shooting and have been subject to almost no cropping. The metaphor for life sits. The inner world of beauty that lies beneath the surface and the potential for an awakening. Valley Within is a colourful and stimulating presentation of a moment in time within our urban, native landscape.

“We can watch life go by, without stopping to see. On this occasion, I stopped awhile, to see what I could see.” - David

C 2017