The Mt Coot-tha Project
by Des Rolph
ARTIST STATEMENT
Brisbane artist, Des Rolph, has created an exhibition of 42 small oil paintings that takes the viewer on a visual walk around Mt Coot-tha. The intent of this exhibition was to make a historical documentation of the vistas of Brisbane, the local landmarks, and recreational spaces that visitors to this mountain know and love. This first painted documentation of this scale will no doubt hold its place alongside written history about Mt Coot-tha. Only three kilometres out of the city, the natural reserves of this mountain sits amid a growing metropolis, and provides a valuable space for the people of Brisbane to escape to.
This special project by Rolph, follows a steady career as a landscape painter, and will see her continue in her exploration of Mt Coot-tha, in particular, JC Slaughter Falls. At the completion of this exhibition, Rolph expressed her love of the bushland reserves of the mountain, which have ultimately become her favourite of places to paint and explore. Living in Toowong, she looks upon this mountain from her home, and feels a magnetic connection compelling her to cart her equipment and paint en plein air. For Rolph, she believes this method of painting is authentic and essential, for an artist who wishes to paint landscapes.
42 x Oil on canvas boards, 13 x 18 cm each
