2009 GREEN BELT

SOLO EXHIBITION 22ND MAY - 13TH JUNE, 2009.
Doggett Street Studio, Newstead.

Greenbelt Research Project


This exhibition was sponsored by the Janet Holmes à Court Artists’ Grant Scheme.
The Janet Holmes à Court Artists’ Grant is a NAVA initiative, made possible through the generous sponsorship of Mrs Janet Holmes à Court and through the support of the Visual Arts Board, Australia Council for the Arts. Thank you.



The exhibition essay - 'Power vs. Vulnerability. A SEARCH FOR BALANCE', is written and sponsored by Susan Buret. Thank you.

Many artists use new media when they move on to a new body of work. Greenbelt is Nicola Moss’s first exhibition that includes photographic works. However, what appears at first glance to be a new body of work is a richer and more considered exploration of the ideas and observations that have formed the basis of Moss’s work for several years. Images contrast speedy destruction with slow and laborious regeneration. Silhouettes and ghost maps hint at species, vegetation and open space lost to urban sprawl.

These works are the result of meticulous research and serial observation that characterises Moss’s practice. Moss invites us to consider how local authorities deal with the inevitable development that comes with the increase in population as urbanisation spreads to become a ribbon along the coast and hinterlands of Australia. What happens to those small pockets of endangered environments that fall outside of the smooth and apparently random contours traced by the planner’s pen when greenbelt areas are delineated? Why do we choose some areas, left derelict by development, for regeneration? What are the criteria for inclusion or exclusion?

Moss’s work is quietly beautiful and not overtly judgemental. There is no anger, no strident call to arms or disdainful didacticism. The subtle images and thoughtfully documented observations have the potential to engage on many levels, offering the viewer the chance to contemplate or become more actively involved in the discussion and debate about land use.

Susan Buret.