This series of drawings/paintings conveys tactile surfaces as visible artefacts on paper. They are created using ‘Frottage’ (rubbings) to record intimate exchanges between maker, materials and surface. Collected whilst travelling through New Zealand’s South Island in 2020 they depict native tree markings in forests, coastlines and thoroughfares across Te Wai Pounamu (South Is.). They are made with acrylic paint, graphite, wax or conte crayon on handmade paper set onto a cradled plywood panel.
Across the world, ‘touching wood’ is a common superstition where people look to bring themselves good fortune or ward off bad luck. Many cultures believed woods to be sacred, and that spirits and gods resided in trees. Knocking on tree trunks was to rouse them to ask for their protection, show gratitude for good luck, or chase away demons. It was thought that the sense of touch reconnected them with something of the Divine.
Artist Statement: ‘My practice engages with liminal spaces such as coastlines, streams, gardens and woodlands. The work develops intuitively during quiet contemplation of the environment, matter, culture and making. I believe that art can affect how we perceive the living environment, and that perceptions can be changed through creative encounters in nature. My work takes the form of drawings, film poems, digital recordings and public interventions.’
Biography: Laura Donkers lives and works in North Uist. She holds a PhD in Contemporary Art Practice (Dundee, 2020), MA in Art and Social Practice (Distinction) (Shetland, 2023), MFA in Art, Society, Publics (Dundee, 2014) and BFA Hons in Fine Art (First Class) (Outer Hebrides, 2011). Her PhD research explored collaborative artistic methods to promote eco-social regeneration for small island communities. It was awarded an SGSAH/AHRC scholarship with additional awards to visit Elam School of Art, University of Auckland. She transformed this research into the creative agency LimenLab, which delivers eco-art projects that document and promote exchange between people and nature at a time of biodiversity loss and climate change.