There is something about the Australian bush that is unique, at least different from the landscapes of Europe and Asia. The Australian bush generally lacks a pictorial focus, an easily defined vanishing point, repoussoir trees that conveniently frame a composition or the gentle tonal gradations on which the picturesque tradition of European art has been built.
Danielle Creenaune had been away from Australia for many years before she returned to her birthplace of Wollongong (Dharawal land) and the contrast between the European landscape and the Australian bush was overwhelming. Her present body of work, predominantly lithographs, strongly bears witness to her rediscovery of the Australian bush. Her walks in the bush, both in Dharawal land and Gundungurra land (Southern Highlands), involve an exploration of country that she had known since childhood, but now being seen with fresh eyes.
Her prints are full of tiny precious discoveries – tracks, glimpses of water and the enchanting detail of the bush. When you walk in the bush, it is sometimes akin to meditating in a sacred space where your innermost thoughts and memories combine with the newly discovered elements in nature. It is this sense of intimacy and visual excitement that characterises Creenaune’s art. Like few other artists, Creenaune manages to combine the sense of messy vastness of the bush, the intricacy of detail and personal melancholy that borders on a sense of nostalgia. Although her imagery is never literal, it is anchored in a specific reality.
– Excerpt of essay by Emeritus Professor Sasha Grishin AM, FAHA
Australian National University, 2024
