The title of Rae Begley’s photographic exhibition—On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing—references Indian writer and activist Arundhati Roy’s 2002 stirring speech ‘Come September’. Roy fearlessly ends her speech on the necessity of listening to and witnessing how landscapes shifts—encouraging audiences to attend to the environments surrounding them. Roy’s acknowledgment of environmental degradation prompted Begley to reconsider how she interacts with geological landscapes. In this photographic series the Sydney-based artist reveals the vast and distinctive elements of the terrain she has walked through over several years.
There’s a meditative quality to Begley’s photographs—both memorable for their otherworldly qualities and moving for their depiction of diverse settings. Begley’s work underscores the need for us to focus on the ecosystems our human actions are impacting. To enhance such sensorial experiences, the exhibition includes a soundscape featuring field recordings from photographed sites in collaboration with composer Russell Webster (now known as the band The M1). View, in pictures, Begley’s evocative series in On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.
On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing
Rae Begley
Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf
10 August—4 September
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