siri HAYES

smoko, 2002

tree antenna, 2004. from the korea series.

one of my favourite artists at the moment, hayes' large format photographs explore the troubled and tenuous relationship between humans and their environment. had work recently at VCA margaret lawrence gallery (where in the woods), monash university musuem of art (recent aquisitions) in melbourne. see more on her web-site.

woods, 2004.

"Amphitheatres, whether natural or built, are internal spaces in the external world. Hayes makes them into private rooms without walls. It’s unclear what the real relationships are between Hayes’ subjects or what their purpose for being there is, but most seem comfortable there. The trees surround, lessening the exposure to wind and rain and so fulfil some of their potential as a primary housing material. In one image, however, a man standing between stepping stones in the creek, his duffle coat collar pulled up to his neck against the elements, evokes nomadism or homelessness. Hayes’ use of enclosed and protective spaces in the environment remind us of the sometimes cruel differences between private and public spaces and the related issues of border crossing and the trauma of displacement. "

kate rhodes, siri hayes: the best of all possible worlds.