While she is best known for her paintings, Del Kathryn Barton has consistently worked in a range of other media, including photography and photographic collage, which continue to feature throughout her practice. This work is a playful portrait of the artist’s young child who performs for the camera while wearing a hooded cape with bear ears. It connects with the themes that characterise Barton’s broader practice, highlighting her interest in motherhood and family, as well as her desire to explore the imaginative worlds of childhood, dreams and the subconscious. The work also reflects Barton’s bold, graphic style of image-making, which is accentuated here by the inclusion of a highly decorative background, as well as her use of the photogravure printing process.

(2021)