Overview

Inspired by daily walks on the Isaacs Ridge Nature Reserve, local artist Nicola Dickson is treated to a chorus of birdsong and glimpses of native animals, reminded of the complex, interconnected world we share. This nature reserve, situated on Ngunnawal Country, is a remnant of the vast BoxGum Grassy Woodland ecosystem, which, prior to white settlement, spread across south eastern Australia. There, one can find evidence of shifting human
interaction with the reserve in the form of disused fencing, stands of Radiata pine, a melange of understorey weeds and native plants and active and abandoned quarries.

Under-Stories includes these histories within in the Box Gum Grassy Woodlands of the region. Paintings depict elusive woodland birds and the trees they inhabit, alluding to a complex, fragile biodiversity. The co-existence of alternate past and present understandings of woodlands are the subject of a series of paintings where the understorey woodland plants have been re-ascribed their Wiradjuri name.

Native plants are juxtaposed with weeds in drawings, which are then used to construct digitally printed wallpaper and fabrics. These are incorporated into two installations that speak to the impacts of European settlement on these woodlands.