K ristian La em m le -R u ff M ind the G a p 11 A ug ust – 19 S eptem ber 20 17
K ristian Laem m le -R uff, Fukushim a apple tree , C -type print, 1000 x 835 m m
In the sp ring o f 2 01 4 , A u stra lia n p ho tog ra phe r K ristia n La e m m le -R u ff d rop pe d o u t o f M e lb o u rne p sych ro ck b a nd H o u se of La u re nce a nd bo a rde d a flig ht to P e rth to e m b a rk up o n a h itch h ikin g tou r tha t w ou ld take h im n o rth a lo n g A u stra lia ’ s w e ste rn co a st, in to A rn he m L an d , a n d m o n th s la te r so u th in to the re d ce n tre . W ith little m o re th a n a su rfb oa rd , a cam e ra a nd a tin y bo ttle o f re d d e se rt san d , g ive n to h im b y a p a rtn e r, h is jou rn e y slow ly b u t su re ly d ee p en ed in m e an in g a s th e m a n y fra ctu re s, b ifu rca tion s an d g a p s in A u stra lia ’s cu ltu ra l lan d scap e in crea sin g ly ca m e in to fo cu s, b e co m in g e ve r cle a re r a n d m o re e xp licit. M in d th e G ap is a t o n ce a re co rd of tha t jou rne y a nd a n a rtist’s m ed ita tio n o n the e xp e rie n ce du rin g a nd a fte r th e fa ct, w h ile fo ld e d in to its fab ric is th e a rtist’s
re fle ctio n s o n a p re viou s jo u rne y un d e rta ken e a rlie r th at yea r to Ja pa n a s a vo lu n te e r p h o to g rap h e r fo r an N G O , to d o cu m e n t e xa ctly w h a t w a s ta king p lace in th e h ig h ly co n ta m ina ted a rea s in a n d a ro un d Fu ku sh im a in the w a ke o f th e n u cle a r d isa ste r. In th e a rtist’s w o rd s: I photographed children w h ose early childhoods have been in a radioactive cloud. I m et people w hose fam ily had been separated through the disaster. I w alked through ’tem porary housing facilities’ and w ith help from a translator docum ented the com m unity living there. I saw ‘tem porary rubbish piles ’ of highly contam inated soil along riverw ays, near orchards and right in people’s front yards.
K ristian Laem m le -R uff, The C ycle , 2 m elted A pple M acbook P ros, V ariable
A s L ae m m le -R u ff pu she d on to w a rd th e ce n tre o f A u stra lia, w h at beca m e im p o ssib le to ig no re w a s th e fa ct th a t u ra n iu m fro m A u stra lia n u ran iu m m in e s w a s u sed in th e F u ku sh im a rea cto rs, an d so the tin y b o ttle of re d sa nd w h ich h e w o re a ro un d h is n e ck see m e d to b e com e h e a vie r a s h is tho ug h ts a n d o b se rva tion s m a tu re d . T h e sa n d to o k o n a m o re po te nt sym b o lic m ea n ing re la ted to the u se /m isu se , e xp lo ita tio n
a n d a bu se o f th e lan d . T h is p ro m p ted h im to jo in a to u r th ro ug h A u stra lia ’s n u cle a r la n d scap e run b y F rie nd s o f th e E a rth ab o ut w h ich h e w rite s: O n the R adioactive E xposure T our I w as able to visit R oxby D ow ns and O lym pic D am ; the m ost horrible, traum atic places I have ever experienced. W ith perm ission from elder M ick S tarkey, I collected a sam ple of earth from that area. T he sand one sees is sym bolic of country being used to fuel nuclear di sasters and long -term storage hazards w orldw ide.
K ristian Laem m le -R uff, G lass & S and , G lass and sand, 100 x 200 x 100 m m
S o m e ho w b etw e en su rfin g re m o te b rea ks, w orkin g o n a cattle sta tion , livin g in ca ve s, h u ntin g g oa ts an d spe nd in g sle e p le ss n ig h ts in m in in g to w n s tryin g to fin d h is n e xt lift, L ae m m le -R u ff fo un d tim e to ca p tu re a se rie s of cle a r a nd cu ltu ra lly h a un tin g ly im ag e s o f th e to p se cre t ‘jo in t U S -A u stra lia n ’ in te llig en ce fa cility o u tsid e o f A lice S p rin g s. La e m m le R u ff title d th e fea tu re im a g e of th is se rie s ‘P in e G ap (A P h o to g rap h o f th e C entre o f A u stra lia )’. T he w o rk w e n t on to w in a H ig h ly
C o m m e n d ed A w a rd a t th e 3 9 th A lice P rice p rom p tin g jud g e C h ris S a in e s C N Z M D ire cto r o f Q u e en sla nd A rt G a lle ry │ G a lle ry o f M o de rn A rt to w rite : Laem m le-R uff’s P ine G ap is an im age of paradoxical contrasts: a site of crystalline m odernity nestled am ong the ranges of an ancient land; an instrum ent of geo -political surveillance being surveyed.
In be in g , like m a n y e lem e n ts o f A u stra lia ’s cultu ra l e xpe rie n ce , so m e w h a t d a rk an d p o litica lly ch a rge d , M ind the G ap en cou ra g e s u s to b e m ind fu l o f th e g a p s, b lin d sp o ts a n d co nn e ctio n s th a t run , o ften in visib ly, th ro ug h o u r e xp e rie n ce o f sp a ce an d p la ce .
K ristian Laem m le -R uff, P ine G ap (A P hotograph of the C entre of A ustralia), D uratran print in B lackw ood light-box, 1280 x 370 x 185 m m