Nici Cumpston is a descendant of the Barkindji, river people belonging to the Barka (Darling River) in western New South Wales. Her large-scale hand-coloured landscape photographs explore this area, highlighting the significance of its trees and waterways while paying tribute to her cultural heritage. Cumpston created 'Greatgrandmother Barka' and 'Barka messenger' on a trip up the Barka. Exploring the old parts of the river system, the artist photographed the trees she encountered along the way. She created what she describes as tree 'portraits', humanising her subjects and celebrating the active roles the trees and waterways have played in providing food, water, shelter and protection for generations of Barkanji. In making these works, the artist is drawing attention not only to the importance but also to the fragility of these natural wonders, which are in a state of declining health and remain under threat from environmental degradation.
Cumpston photographed her images in black-and-white before printing them at a large scale and spending hours meditatively adding colour to each print. This hand-colouring technique has been running through Cumpston's practice since she began as an artist, and is a defining feature of much of her work.
(2023)
Also known as Giclee prints or bubble-jet prints, pigment ink-jet prints are generated by computer printers from digital or scanned files using dye-based or pigment-based inks. A series of nozzles spray tiny droplets of ink onto the paper surface in a precise pattern that corresponds to the digital image file. In dye-based prints the ink soaks into the paper, whereas in pigment-based prints the ink rests and dries on top of the paper surface.
Whilst the term is broad, pigment ink-jet prints have come to be associated with prints produced on fine art papers. They are the most versatile and archival method of printing available to photographers today. A wide variety of material on which an image can be printed with such inks are available, including various textures and finishes such as matte photo paper, watercolour paper, cotton canvas or pre-coated canvas.
