First Solo Australian Exhibition - Den L. Scheer

Monotype prints (monoprints), graphite drawings and assembled salvaged wool bags

Terra Ager is an assembly of sketches that use monoprint to explore the dynamism of animal movement and graphite anatomical studies to engage the eugenics of the cattle, horses and sheep. Referencing the Latin words for Land/Territory (Terra) and Farm (Ager), Den draws upon her farming heritage to negotiate how genetic traits can be tested and selectively integrated into herds to meet the needs of the farmer or the herd’s overall genetic stability. Her fascination with the process of selecting studs and culling herds informs her artistic practice, which focuses on how the animal body is influenced by human intervention and the selective knowledge necessary for this process.

Both drawing methods are reductive processes. The monoprints are created by covering a plastic plate with black ink, which is then systematically wiped off in layers using various fabrics to sketch the skeleton, muscular structure, and features of animal bodies. This slippery technique results in a dynamic and abstract exploration of animal movements.

Similarly, the graphite drawings are reductive but focus more on detailed design. The sketches are initially toned with graphite to create a completely flat and black surface. The animals are then rendered using different types of erasers instead of pencils. Much like a sculptor carves a body from a block of stone, the drawings use erasers to bring out the tones of the paper by removing graphite. These animals are largely chimeric, built using the heads, limbs, and torsos of several animals to create an ideal body or pose. Colored pencil annotations serve as a diary, recording the artist’s thoughts for each figure.

The wool bag tapestries are made from bags salvaged from a wheatbelt wool dealer, which once housed the dags and worst grades of wool. The grime of the wool and the stamps of the farms accumulate with each reuse of the bags. The artist's interest in how the smell of a piece can influence a space was sparked during an exhibition in Dubai, where she experienced an exhibition scented by a length of wood. By reconstructing the separate bag pieces, she aims to engage the gallery space on a sensory level and display the story of the wool bags on a single plane. In this way, the unique language of the stamps and grading shorthand becomes available for all to see, but only the specialized few can fully understand.