Ode to the River 2024

Ode to the River (2024) was created in response to trips along the Northern Territory’s Adelaide River and its wetlands in 2022 and 2023.

It is made from hand carved woodblocks and printed by hand with water-based pigments on three sheets of Kozo paper.

Knowing the size and ferocity of the saltwater crocodiles beneath the water gives travelling along the Adelaide River an edgy intensity, offset by the fragile elegance of birds above.

The river flows with the tides and seasons and I feel that there is no beginning or end. This continuous riverscape and open wetlands convey a timeless quality.

The printmaking technique of mokuhanga uses wood, water, handmade paper and pigment. These elements have their origins in the environment.

Along the river I see similar elements: mud; brown water; stripped trees; swaying bamboo; vibrant green grasses; dense mangroves, which I translate into mokuhanga.

More on this project can be found in the NEWS section.

©JacquelineFGribbin2024