the blades of the electric fan
garlanded with flowers
humming like bees
head singing from the first blow
from twelve labours [1]
Fremantle Print finalist Gwenn Tasker recasts the labours of Heracles into an ambiguous time and place to reassess heroism, the mythological and provoke an unsettling visceral reaction. The artist’s twelve etchings are in response to the award- winning poetry of Angela Gardner. There is a familiar callous ruthlessness to Heracles, and the tasks of a pre-technological age, under the spotlight of an artist’s own ruthless gaze, look uncomfortably awkward and unsophisticated. Her rich visual narrative style, employs elements of Greek art, such as portraying the hero in profile, while fully engaging in the unique aesthetic qualities of the etching process.
Twelve Labours, June 2009, Deluxe Book(Book), 56pp, bound, hard cover embossed copper shim inset into fabric with title in copper stamped lettering; Images etching, aquatint, Text poems letterpress, on paper BFK Rives white 270gsm; archival quality, limited edition of 10 (plus 15 loose leaf books), signed by both artist and author. Closed head to tail 500mm, spine to foredge 350mm, Deluxe Books open 500mm x 700mm; Binding by Fred Pohlmann of F & R Master Bookbinders Pty Ltd; Sale price Deluxe Book AUD 1600/GBP 700, Book AUD 1250/GBP 550 overseas p&p by special delivery.
Artist: Gwenn Tasker
Author: Angela Gardner
Twelve Labours
ISBN: 978-0-9804863-1-5
Publication June 2009 from light-trap press, PO Box 6418 St Lucia,
QLD 4067, Australia.
Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy funding for the
project gratefully received from Arts Queensland