I was commissioned by the Art Gallery of South Australia to document Yhonnie Scarce’s journey to Maralinga, the site of British nuclear testing, in preparation for a major work she would be exhibiting at the launch of TARNANTHI in 2015.

Over 600 bombs were detonated at Maralinga, one twice the size of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The lands surrounding the blast sites are still nowhere near recovered. In over fifty years less than twelve inches of plant regrowth has taken place, and what lives shows obvious signs of sickness and suffering. We knelt down on soil that was still partially covered in blue­-green glass – the effect of a particularly large detonation on the otherwise red earth.

Installed 2016.

Images courtesy of
Ben Hattingh.

Thank you to Yhonnie Scarce for allowing me to share in the journey to Maralinga and the use of her portrait for this project.

And a big thank you to Helen & Quincy for inviting me to participate in the Bakehouse Art Project.