Narelle Autio is widely known for her images of Australian coastal life and particularly for her photographs taken below the surface of the water. The majority of her underwater photographs have been taken off the coast, often in the surf; however, for her Water hole series, Autio worked inland. She made this series during a road trip through remote parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. While travelling through these parts of Australia, the artist found herself drawn to inland bodies of water, which provided her with much needed relief from the otherwise dry and barren landscapes by which she was surrounded. Often finishing her days beside billabongs or springs, Autio submerged herself into these aquatic spaces and photographed the underwater landscapes she encountered. In doing so, the artist has captured quiet, strange and mysterious worlds through richly coloured photographic prints that reveal dark underwater tunnels, piercing rays of blue light, distant swimming human figures, as well as semi-abstract close-up views of plant life and underwater formations.
(2023)
Chromogenic prints are printed on paper that has at least three emulsion layers containing invisible dyes and silver salts. Each emulsion layer is sensitive to a different primary colour of light (red, green or blue). The development process converts the hidden dyes to visible colour depending on the amount of light it was exposed to. This type of paper is commonly used to print from colour negatives or digital files to produce a full-colour image. It can also be used to print black-and-white images, giving softer grain and less contrast than gelatin silver prints. Commonly known as c-type prints, chromogenic processing was developed in the 1940s and widely used for colour printing, including for domestic snapshots. While recent years have seen this process accompanied by ink-jet and digital printing technologies, chromogenic printing still remains in use to this day.
