‘(De)Contextualization’ is a series which subverts realistic commoditized representation, through exploring the relationary existence between reality and representation, and how a greater socio-economical and representational, contextual dialogue is established in the artwork between these two facets.

Within Australian Art, and Australian drawing in particular, there is a fetishization of what can be considered hyper-realistic representation. It can be said that this means of representation has been commoditized through the artist’s relationship to the broader commercial market. The fetishization relies on the relationship between the represented and a perceived reality. Reality as derived from the indexical nature of photography, and representation derived from the artist’s mark.

As the representation draws closer to the perceived reality, there is a greater commercial value imposed by the external market. The gap that exists between reality and representation however can never be crossed, as the artists mark will consistently insert a means of abstraction which removes it further from reality. True ‘realism’ is unobtainable, and hence this fetishization and commerciality exists as a fallacy.

Utilizing landscape imagery, the work challenges this idea of hyper-realistic and reality-esque representation – and the subsequent commoditization of it. Selectively removing aspects of the composition, the work actively undermines the inherent value imposed on the work by technical mastery, and enquires into the nature of realism. The selected removed aspects subverting the complete image and allowing a dialogue to be established between what has and hasn’t been represented. Whilst the removed compositional elements are a clear undermining of realized image, they also dually represent the true indexical cataloguing of the desired image. The revealed tracing derived directly from the source photograph, implies the same level of realism as the represented image.