Dibirdibi Country 2008

Sally Gabori painted "Dibirdibi Country" with what looks like acrylic on canvas, using blocks of colour to evoke the feeling of a place. I love the way these colours bump up against each other. The paint is applied with an almost careless confidence, thick in some places, thin in others, so you can see the texture of the canvas coming through. I'm especially drawn to that splodge of black – is it a shadow, a sacred site, or just a formal element to balance the composition? Whatever it is, it anchors the whole thing. You can see how Gabori is unafraid to leave her marks visible, her process exposed. It reminds me of the fearlessness of someone like Joan Mitchell, not just in the boldness of colour, but in the commitment to gesture as a form of storytelling. Ultimately, "Dibirdibi Country" isn’t just about what you see, but how it makes you feel.