BONE STUMP FIRE

Bone stump

Bone stump

Bone stump fire

Bone stump fire

Bone stump fire – photogram

Like Bone Shelter and Bone Circle/Fire, this work emerged from a residency deep within the arid zone of western New South Wales. The landscape’s harshness draws attention to the fragile equilibrium that sustains life here—a delicate balance easily unsettled by forces such as drought. These three works resonate with the fleeting nature of existence, unfolding through materials gathered directly from the place itself.

This is a process-driven work, where the focus lies not in a final, fixed form but in the dialogue between creation and environment. The work developed over a series of phases, each responding to the land’s subtle cues. The first phase – visible in the early photographs – began with the collection and placement of bones around a weathered tree stump, itself a silent witness to time’s passage.

As darkness fell, the second phase took shape. Fire was introduced within the hollow of the stump—a vital force in this landscape, one that sparks regeneration and nurtures biodiversity. The fire’s flickering breathed life into the site, a warm quiet light amidst the night.

This phase also carried an intentional act of auto-documentation. Unlike many works where recording is a separate, secondary process, here the creation of a remnant record was woven into the work itself. Beneath the bones, at the four cardinal points, unexposed photographic paper had been placed. When the fire was kindled, its glow directly imprinted the bones’ shadows onto the paper – a delicate photogram capturing the ephemeral encounter between light, material, and place.