In the Presence of Absence
In the Presence of Absence
Kate van der Drift
Sanderson Contemporary
Osborne Lane, 2 Kent Street, Newmarket, Auckland
10 July - 04 August 2024
Kate van der Drift, Nature Writing (Waipā) IV, 2024, Cyanotype toned with peat water on canvas
In the Presence of Absence draws from the dense fluidity of Waikato's peat lakes, sites of both ecological richness and historical significance. Formed around 18,000 years ago, the lakes are stained by peat to the colour of tea and host a variety of unique ecosystems.
Van der Drift’s artworks act as a series of ‘nature writings’ where the artist creates cyanotype exposures toned with the tannin-rich lake water, creating layered works that capture the essence of this unique wetland environment.
Van der Drift creates the images by wrapping cyanotype coated fabric around the trunks of Kahikatea trees, exposing the photosensitive substrate to light that radiates through the tree’s canopy. The pieces of fabric are then soaked in the lake water collected from the nearby peat lakes. This process imbues the works with a tangible sense of place and time, echoing the primordial intensity of the environment.