Chaffey, Antonia (1948 - )

Diploma of Fine Art at SA School of Art. Major in Painting and Printmaking.

Traveled to the Middle East in 1991 after the Gulf War to work on an archaeological dig in Northern Syria and then traveled to Jordan and Egypt. There became aware of the notion of “body memory”. Deserts became a major source of inspiration and upon return to Australia began to examine the history of my desert obsession. Hence the field trips to the deserts of the Mallee and Lake Mungo.

Began a series of paintings and works on paper reflecting these landscapes. Had a solo exhibition at the Mildura Regional Art Gallery. Then participated in Mildura Palimpsest, which was instigated by Ian Hamilton, then director of the Mildura Art Gallery. Developed the “Garden Story” trilogy over the following three years reflecting on the notion mentioned above of the way in which that landscape had been reinscribed by a European sensibility.

These works were site specific in nature using earth, stone and indigenous plants and are still growing. Each project was accompanied by installations within the gallery space.

Julie Copeland of Radio National has covered these projects annually. The ABC has included some of this work on their website for Palimpsest.
I received a grant from Arts Victoria and major sponsorship from the City of Mildura to create the Commemorative Sculpture garden located at the gravesite of the Chaffey women and children. This site was a degraded and forgotten place on the outskirts of Town, away from the main cemetery.

I consulted widely on Aboriginal Heritage and this project is now in its completion stage to be launched later this year

I have also recently had an exhibition entitled “Charting Inland Waters” with artist Mary Newsome at Herring Island in South Yarra.

Work

• Tabula Rasa (2003)