Mel Brigg

My painting is mostly an expression of my love of nature, animals and the wide open spaces of South Africa and Australia.  To be in harmony with my environment is very important to me, as it is to understand it – be it social or political.  So even on the odd occasion I have taken to challenge the system on canvas, somehow the landscape seems to surface.

I draw inspiration from the interior regions of Australia. The vastness and intensity of light, combined with the spirituality of the indigenous peoples, are a never ending source of subject matter for me.

I try to portray this in my work by using materials such as sand, bones and skin.  Hints of tribal symbols combined with heavy textures, impart a feeling of the powerful energy forces which surround these desert people – a possible link from the past with Africa where I was born and raised.

What you see in a landscape may give you an overwhelming sense of peace, or it may threaten or intimidate you.  I can paint an evocative landscape or I can make a graphic comment about social injustice, tragedy and the human condition.