Title

Burning mountain, by Murray Griffin.

Author

Bunbury, Alisa.

Source

[Not applicable]

Publication date

1998

Type

About the work

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

Burning mountain.

“What makes these prints deserve our respect is the craftsmanlike care andprecision of their making. This gives them a finesse ... and richness of colour,seen at its best in the flair and genuine intensity of Burning Mountain”. (The Age, 9 Nov. 1966, p.5)

As Patrick McCaughey wrote, this is an incredibly powerful image. Presented in limited but strong colours, the immense rocky mountain towers over a checkerboard of croplands. The scene is illuminated by a glowing low sun, although ominous, almost geometrical, clouds threaten. Rain has just started in a haze of smudged ink. It is not difficult to interpret this image as a strongly religious work, with Old Testament connotations. The heavy clouds could represent the Wrath d God, and the title evoke images of burning bushes and the like. For Griffin, however, it is likely to have represented the mystical energy of the land, which can be either welcoming or threatening.

© Alisa Bunbury, 1998.

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