Cool Hunting

The Australian landscape, the subject of endless tributes by artists of all media, is given an intriguing and mysteriously-sexual twist by Fiona Lowry. In her recent show at Sydney's Gallery Barry Keldoulis, called "I'm having dreams about you," Lowry has painted dream-like images of the bush. Instead of flora and fauna, she shows shadowy human figures, some engaged in overtly sexual behavior, others more ambiguous, all alluring. To create these delicate spidery effects Lowry uses airbrush, a material more often associated with the boldness of Howard Arkley, say, or graffiti art, combined with photography. Airbrushed in washed out pinks, greens and browns, the work makes me wonder if I've missed out on something in my overdressed forays into the Australian bush. (Click image for detail.)