Tom Risley's 1998 work "Rainforest margin Windsor Tableland" combines painting and found objects to depict an Australian landscape. Risley adheres to traditional landscape techniques like dividing the space into thirds horizontally, but interprets the landscape in a unique way to evoke memories and emotions. He incorporates found materials from the landscape itself to represent changing vegetation and convey a sense of the harsh bush environment through rough brushwork and a limited palette. The simple format and materials provide viewers an emotive experience of the depicted place through captured moments and memories.

1. “Rainforest margin Windsor Tableland” 1998
iron, wire, synthetic polymer paint, ink, pastel,
caulking compound, on canvas and plywood

3. simple compositions that were
aesthetically pleasing to the eye
 combined the art form of painting and
sculpture.
 Art held“spiritual essence” (Risley, Art
Monthly 2010) that reflected the Australian
culture and landscape
 his “intellectual engagement with art is
driven by an intuitive feel for materials and
composition.” (Rankin, 2005)

4.  gained his creative skill and love of art form from his
father Noel who was also a sculptor and has been
described as Risley’s greatest mentor.
 As a child Risley spent much of his day collecting and
scouring around his neighbourhood
 The trade skills gained through his early years
enabled Risley to have the technical approach to his
artwork in the future.
 Risley’s life skills and passion of collecting and
scavenging paved the way for his unique material
choice, technique and art form.

5.  grown up in the era just as society was coming out of
the great depression.
 The ideologies and values at the time reflected the
idea of no wastage, and valued used objects that
could evolve
 This domestic and temporary social construction at
the time would have shaped Risley’s thinking and
encouraged his love and fascination with discarded
material.
 greatest contributing factor and defining point to
Risley’s artwork.

6.  Interpretations of still life work which reflected the
knowledge and pre-existing experimentation by the
modernist Picasso, Braque and Gris.
“Tablet 2005” Tom Risley

7. “Still life” Pablo Picasso “Fathers day still life
1987” Tom Risley

8. “Still Life study 17” Tom Risley
“Still Life” Juan Gris

9. “La Pipe” Georges Braque “Family Crest with Graters
2006” Tom Risley

10.  At this time the art world was evolving from
expressionism, surrealism, cubism into the
new age of Pop art, the DADA, and
minimalism.
 His mark making resembled the painterly
expression of artists like Rothko,
Rauschenberg with his use of dormant
material, with the Australian colour and
essence of a Fred Williams landscape.

11. “Still Life 3” Tom Risley Mark Rothko

12. He progressed into landscape but continued to incorporate found
objects to reflect the culture and character of a specific landscape
or place.
“Riverbed” Fred Williams

13. “Still life with mackeral and
oysters” Tom Risley
“Lotus 1 2008” Robert Rauschenberg

14.  he explored and broke the conventions of
still life by deconstructing the landscape.
 He brought found objects from the
landscape he would portray and
incorporate the material into the artwork.
“ rather a combination of ideas, well used
technical skills and his ‘intuitive engagement’
with his materials.” (Martin-Chew, 2008)

15.  Several years ago this would not have been
accepted as art in society and certainly not
gallery material.
 Art has developed through the age of the
depression, the dominance of the pop
culture, then our 21st centaury exploration
into recycling to counteract our ‘excessive’
lifestyle Risley’s work has become accepted
into art and has become inspirational to
contemporary artists.

16. “Rainforest margin Windsor Tableland 1998” Tom Risley
iron, wire, synthetic polymer paint, ink, pastel, caulking compound, on
canvas and plywood.

17.  complete cohesive landscape that
demonstrates the technical skills,
knowledge and abilities of Risley.
 Risley has adhered to the placement and
orientation of standard landscape painting
 He also interpreted the traditional code of
dividing the landscape into thirds
horizontally

18.  specified this layout so the viewer does
not read the work as a singular vision but
to delve into the art further and discover
an emotive, multi-dimensional vision.
 portrays the landscape in a unique way
not to just represent the place physically
but to try and “evoke a memory or
feeling, and emotive encounter with the
landscape…”(Tonkin, 2005, p.11).

19.  found objects within this piece were once
part of the landscape
 The objects have now become a tool within
Risley’s work to communicate to the viewer
a captured moment or memory from the
landscape.
 worked each piece until it works
aesthetically and balanced and is bound
together with concept.

20.  The found objects demonstrate the changing
vegetation.
 He has placed each object using space and shape to
balance and capture the essence of the bush.
 mark making resembles the odd harshness of the
bush environment
 brush strokes are rough and appear to be at random,
using limited palette and layering he reflects the
colours and appearance of the Australian bush

21.  Risley has interpreted in his own way the familiar
traditional codes and conventions of a landscape
to communicate his concept.
 The simple format, subject matter and materials
are all familiar to the viewer and provide a
pleasant escape into a landscape through
emotions and memories.
 He has explored and portrayed a unique love of
the Australian landscape and strived to bring the
emotions and memories of his experiences to the
audience.

22. Martin-Chew, L 2010, Obituary, Art Monthly 2010, Iss. 234, viewed 26
November 2010, <
http://www.artmonthly.org.au/artnotes.asp?aID=29&issueNumber=234 >
Mayo, K 2005, Tom Risley, Cairns Regional Gallery, Arts Nexus 2005, viewed
26 November 2010, <
http://www.artsnexus.com.au/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3 >
Reid, S 2005, Tom Risley, Cairns Regional Gallery, Arts Nexus 2005, viewed
26 November 2010, <
http://www.artsnexus.com.au/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11 >
Risley, T 2010, Works, City of Cairns.com, viewed 29 November 2010 <
http://www.tomrisleyartist.com/index >
20th Century, Wikipedia 2010, viewed 29 November 2010, <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century >
Tonkin, S 2005, Tom Risley Bibliography, Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns.