09 Jun Lilli Waters – Anthropocene: Age of Humans – Curatorial+Co.

Depicting the female form in landscapes that are eerie and post-apocalyptic in their starkness – rough-hewn incarnations of the Garden of Eden – this series draws inspiration from biblical narratives of creation and the Fall of man (woman). The marble skin of these figures, luminous in dark, uninhabited landscapes conjure images from myths and fairy-tales that allude to a state of innocence and wonder.

Yet while the Fall was characterised by torment and shame, a loss of grace, the presence of the women in these untamed landscapes has a dream-like ambiguity. Rather than being helpless, or in need of protection, the women offer a more expansive expression of the feminine: beauty combined with strength, nonchalance and indomitability.

In the Anthropocene Epoch, there is a profound disconnect with nature, yet these images situate humans within nature – cocooned, in sensuous repose and unfurling into a state of awareness with the possibility for communion with nature.

Says Lilli of her work: ” For Anthropocene, I used lace for the first time in my work. I often source secondhand fabrics, but have been hesitant to use lace specifically, perhaps it was too old fashioned and laden with inherent meaning, but days before embarking on the five day road trip, I succumbed to my love for it. For me, lace represents romanticism, the feminine, a single thread of delicate beauty combined with the strength of many intertwining threads, and in many ways, symbolises the way in which I aim to represent the female figure, an honest beauty combined with strength. Lace has often been symbolic of modesty and obedience, of rites of passage, of fragility and chastity, but also debauchery. I am drawn to the idea of playing with and challenging stereotypical notions of the feminine.

Working on the raw images during isolation and the deep uncertainty of the beginning of the virus, married with the images themselves coming out of the direct aftermath of the bushfires have shaped the final works into some of my darker images. Fear, grief and a sense of foreboding are all intertwined with glimmers of hope and a feminine power the world seems to be yearning for, reflecting the precarious times we find ourselves in.”

You can view the virtual exhibition for this series here.

Each work is signed with artist signature, print edition number + title

Edited by Curatorial+Co.
Music by Jacob Cole
Images by Lilli Waters