Faded
May Bluebell
May Bluebell’s work reference’s the natural world and geology, drawing on childhood memories of growing up in the Pilbara region of W.A.
Ancient landscapes contrasted by European settlements. Wildflowers scattered across the blazing horizon. Deep reds and a sense of endlessness. Vibrant colours create an almost rhythmic sense of shimmering heat and desert mirages. Her choice of colour, form and texture is at times nostalgic and playful, as are her collages of faded photos from the family archive. She draws on a sense of connection to a place in time.
Her surreal desert-scapes reveal an otherworldly existence. Familiar suburban spaces are rendered uncanny, their manicured lawns a sign of placelessness. Ghost towns blowing back into the earth feature as a symbol of structures and ideas which do not stand the test of time.
Faded was featured as part of TRANSITIONS - a collaborative international group exhibition featuring work from the Rotterdam Photo Festival and Exposure.
Transition through concepts of the 21st century, where regression and progression come to a head. Transition through notions of time and geographical significance, with an exploration of space, place, and memory.
