odette england

As Above So Below

2009
Archival Fine Art Print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
Print size: 61 x 81.3cm
Paper size: 68.6 x 91.4cm

‘As above so below’ is a phrase that indigenous cultures live by: a belief that heaven and earth are the foundation of all creatures, including themselves. Land and sky are more than geographical icons; they are mirrors in which they see themselves reflected.

This series documents the desert landscape of Southern Australia – a traditional home of indigenous peoples – from directly above and below a single standing point, brought together as a double exposure. Odette England combines what otherwise exists separately, to explore the significance of primal middle ground where humankind resides.

The work was made during an Artist Research Residency: England was appointed a Visiting Fellow by the University of New South Wales, to live at the Arid Zone Research Station of the Imaging the Land Research Institute (ILIRI) from May-June 2009. ILIRI is Australia’s only research institute concerned with artistic interpretation of the science of land.