25 Belem Lett

The Fatal Shore | 2015 | oil, metallic pigment on aluminium composite panel | 124 x 96 cm

25 Belem Lett

Sunshine Coast Art Prize 2016 – Finalist

[Image courtesy of the artist]

Belem Lett | The Fatal Shore | 2015 | oil, metallic pigment on aluminium composite panel | 124 x 96 cm

Artist Statement

Combining abstract painting with artisan frames, Lett explores the relationship between gesture, recessive space and the role of the frame. Through fields of colour, gestural brushwork and cut out shapes, Lett situates the abstract image within a history of rococo embellishment and baroque opulence, acknowledging the decorative and illusionistic nature of painting. The title ‘ The Fatal Shore’ makes reference Robert Hughes book, of the same name, which discusses England’s role in the brutal early founding of Australia. Lett’s use of vast expanses of metallic pigment contrasting with a minimal use of gestural colour implies a bordered decoratively framed abyss.

Sunshine Coast Council acknowledges the Sunshine Coast Country, home of the Kabi Kabi peoples and the Jinibara peoples, the Traditional Custodians, whose lands and waters we all now share.
We commit to working in partnership with the Traditional Custodians and the broader First Nations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) community to support self-determination through economic and community development.
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