Belinda Hall - So Many Red Flags
$200.00
Belinda Hall
So Many Red Flags
So Many Red Flags
Medium: Original linocut, Gamblin oil-based ink printed on white Japanese rice paper, with coloured Linseed oil overlays
Paper size: 42 x 42cm
Image dimention: 30cm x 30 cm
Limited edition of 25
Artist StatementAs a child, I was always fascinated by the model kits my twin brother would piece together. He would twist and release small components from the surrounding sprue, carefully gluing them into intricate models of Spitfires and Messerschmitts. Animated by a breeze through an open window, the planes would come to life—circling and spinning as if locked in a dogfight, held aloft only by flimsy thread. The ability to shape and construct an environment, to build something meaningful from individual parts, has always intrigued me. This memory inspired me to draw, carve, and print a series of linocuts in this style.
This new print for the Threatened Species Project is called So Many Red Flags. Instead of propellers, fuselages, and circular decals, this work features the critically endangered Tasmanian Red Handfish - a species found in only two small patches of reef in south-eastern Tasmania. Unlike most fish, the Red Handfish doesn’t swim much; instead, it “walks” along the seabed using its modified fins, which resemble hands.
Surrounding the Red Handfish in this piece is an environment hostile to its survival. Rather than constructing a better future, this work highlights the many dangers threatening this unique and remarkable anglerfish. Plastic pollution, climate change, coastal erosion from development and water runoff, and the impact of fish farms all contribute to its decline. Even native sea urchins, which have boomed in population, are overgrazing the kelp forests that the Red Handfish depends on for shelter and food.
In the print, the handfish gazes upward at these threats, each rendered in warm reds, oranges, and pinks - colours that signal urgency and danger. But just as a child can build a model from scattered pieces, we too can construct solutions. Restoring habitats, managing human impact, and protecting fragile ecosystems are all within our reach.
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This work was submitted by the artist as part of Wild Island's biennial Threatened Species Project. Proceeds from the sale of this work have been donated by the artist and Wild Island to organisations directly working in species support.
Threatened Species Project
A WILD ISLAND EXHIBITION RAISING AWARENESS OF TASMANIA'S THREATENED SPECIES
There are 683 species of plants and animals, including insects and other invertebrates, on Tasmania's Threatened Species List. Yes, there are the iconic ones so many people know about, but there are numerous species that are tiny, little known or ‘less attractive’, which are no less important to our rich and varied eco-system. This new exhibition will expand our understanding of the range & diversity of threatened species and educate of their plight. It also aims to raise much needed funds to go towards their support. It’s a small thing we can do during an age of climate change, mass species decline and habitat loss.
