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BARBARA MADDEN
Benchmark 1,2,3 Dye sublimate on aluminium 28 x 50 cm $250 each Living and enjoying life close to Middleton Beach makes me particularly interested in sea level rise predictions and their associated threats. A recent report on the potential impacts of coastal erosion and inundation between Emu Point and Middleton Beach over the next 100 years is sobering, and was the main inspiration for my work. It predicts that the area, which has already experienced historic storm erosion, is increasingly at risk of future damage due to storm events and predicted sea level rise. Relentlessly, the hazard lines move inland over time. The photo of the bench at the edge of Oyster Harbour was taken on my phone while cycling past, by chance at the highest of high tides for the year. I thought it said everything about the prospect of future inundation in coastal suburbia. After experimenting with different ways of using the image I decided that a progression from ‘normal’ to barely visible emphasised the message while referencing the hazard lines shown on the report map. The bench becomes a benchmark. REFERENCES Emu Point to Middleton Beach Coastal Hazard Risk Management Adaptation Plan, December 2019. (https://www.albany.wa.gov.au/documents/714/chrmap-final-report) Priorities for coastal research in Western Australia. UWA, April 2022. (https://www.uwa.edu.au/news/Article/2022/June/Priorities-for-coastal-research-in-Western-Australia) AusGeo News March 2011 Issue No. 101. (https://www.ga.gov.au/ausgeonews/ausgeonews201103/climate.jsp) Sea Level Change in Western Australia. Department of Transport. February 2010. (https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2021-06/CST-Sea_Level_Change_in_WA.pdf) Photo details Photo1 Original Benchmark photo. Barbara Madden Photo 2 Coastal Assets at Risk by 2030. CHRMAP Report BIO SUMMARY Barbara is a photographer who has exhibited with MIX for several years, as well as in joint and solo exhibitions. Her work is usually landscape - based and she is especially drawn to places that embody the endless space of inland Australia. Her favourite places are deserts and salt lakes, where she continually strives for images that express their minimalist essence. |