Bush Hen Dreaming 1998

Abie Loy Kemarre made this dot painting, Bush Hen Dreaming, and it's a whole world of tiny marks. I can imagine her, patiently building up the surface with these marks, each one a little decision, a tiny gesture. The painting feels like a map, or maybe an aerial view of a landscape. There's a central form that radiates outwards, like a nest or a gathering place. The dots themselves are so consistent, yet they create all these subtle shifts in tone and texture. It reminds me of Agnes Martin's grids, but with a more organic, flowing energy. You can see how mark-making becomes a way to chart the world, not just visually, but emotionally and spiritually, too. It’s not just about what you see, but about the feeling of being in a place, of knowing it intimately, like Kemarre does. Painters are always in conversation with each other. I think of Kemarre making this, and I’m inspired to go back to my own studio and get lost in the rhythm of making marks, building worlds, one brushstroke at a time.