Julie Stoneman

Julie Stoneman's latest body of work was shown in her solo exhibition 'Floating Geologies'. These works represent a visual narrative of ancient geological processes that have created Tasmania's highly complex and rugged landscapes. The 'Rocky Cape Group' of rocks (in north west Tasmania) were formed 1.5 billion years ago and were once connected to the Grand Canyon, USA.

Artworks 1 to 12 convey these powerful rock-scapes from the oldest Tasmanian rocks at Nelson Range, the stunning west coast rocks at Sarah Anne Rocks, Nelson Bay and Arthur River, through to the jagged rocks at Pinmatik (Rocky Cape) and the undulating rocks at Boat Harbour on the north coast. These rocks have traveled great distances over millions of years from the Northern, to the Southern Hemisphere and are still on the move, albeit at the rate that our fingernails grow!

The original Lake Pedder, with its unique and treasured quartzite beach, was formed more recently from extended glacial weathering of the underlying geology. Lake Pedder and its magnificent fresh water ecosystem and pink quartzite beach was drowned 50 years ago to create a hydro impoundment. Recent engineering studies have proposed draining some of the dam area to restore Lake Pedder and uncover its world renowned beach. Drawings 13 to 19 convey the powerful glacial forces that formed this unique ecosystem.

Julie Stoneman's pen and ink drawings express a rich textural and spatial response to these significant landscapes in order to foster a sense of awe and wonder within the viewer.