Narelle Autio

Narelle Autio’s new work celebrates the otherworldly beauty of the dark waters she encountered whilst travelling through parts of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia. Driving through these dry and remote areas of Australia, she found herself pulled towards the isolated bodies of water that dot the landscape. These waterholes dictated the path of her travels, crossing the hot dry landscape of the day of the day to arrive at waters edge by afternoon. Unlike earlier bodies of work, which celebrated the restorative powers of the coast, the new works explore these dark inland waters that seem more ancient and full of complexity, despite their stillness. The surfaces give nothing away and the depths offer only corridors of light for swimmers. Diving in seems like returning to prehistory, with its alien landscapes and creatures.