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46 Earth and Elsewhere | Contemporary Works from the Collection
Earth and Elsewhere | Contemporary Works from the Collection 47
Samantha Hobson
/ Kuuku Ya’u people, Australia b.1981
/
Burn grass season
2002
/ Synthetic polymer paint, pigment and polyurethane glaze on canvas
/ 124 x 188cm
/
Acc. 2003.018
/ Purchased 2003. The Queensland Government’s special Centenary Fund
Samantha Hobson
Burn grass season
2002
Samantha Hobson’s work often reflects her concerns about
the devastating effects of violence within her community.
Using colour and gestural brushwork, she expresses the tensions
that result from substance abuse and her frustration at the
cycle of despair common in remote communities, which have
little to offer young people who are increasingly separated from
their culture. Other recurring themes in Hobson’s work include
the knowledge passed on to her by elders about story places
in the region.
Burn grass season
2002 depicts a burn-off around the Lockhart
River following the wet season. In this annual process, rich
undergrowth is burnt to reduce the risk of wild fires that can
devastate the landscape. In pre‑contact times, Indigenous people
preserved the land through the periodic use of fire, in keeping with
the natural cycle of the land. It is still a crucial practice today and
ensures the growth of new vegetation.