Alexander Boynes
‘An Echo’ 2024
Acrylic, ink and enamel on board, 140cm x 352.5cm
Mandy Martin (18 November 1952 – 10 July 2021), an esteemed Australian contemporary artist and environmentalist, was a pioneering force in shaping Feminist Art in Australia since the mid-1970s. Beyond her professional acclaim, Mandy was my mother and later became my artistic collaborator. Her influential work, exhibited nationally and internationally, served as a potent voice in the discourse on Climate Change.
Over a decade of collaboration, Mandy, my brother-in-law Tristen Parr (a cellist and composer), and I produced large-scale, site-responsive environmental works, combining painting, moving image, and soundscapes. These works addressed the profound impact of fossil fuel extraction at the expense of the Australian landscape and the sacred lands of Traditional Indigenous Owners, and underscored the imperative for renewable alternatives.
In her final years, we spent time making work in the ancient ash forests of Gunai/Kurnai country (Gippsland), where ominous power stations loomed in the distance. Following her death, a recurring dream provided solace—a serene encounter with Mandy painting at her repurposed ironing board, surrounded by mist-covered ferns and bathed in a shaft of light, reminiscent of her iconic work Red Ochre Cove. The fluorescent hues vividly depicted the clash between industrial intrusion and natural beauty, underscoring the escalating threat of Climate Change.
My ongoing work seeks to articulate the liminal state between loss, grief, and hope—both on a personal level and for the future of our planet. This work stands as an homage to Mandy's enduring legacy, and aims to advocate for environmental consciousness, hope and change.
