Just as the woods are a recurrent setting in classic fairy tales, gardens are important to many stories told since the nineteenth century. Expectations of gardens as picturesque and orderly are often subverted in these tales. Following the White Rabbit into Wonderland, Alice remarks ‘curiouser and curiouser!’ at her strange surroundings; and Dorothy passes through fields of poppies on her journey through Oz. These gardens’ surreal and fantastic properties are navigated with the help of extraordinary guides.
Production still from Alice in Wonderland 2010 / Director: Tim Burton / Image courtesy: The Walt Disney Company (Australia)Production still from The Wizard of Oz 1939 / Director: Victor Fleming / Image courtesy: Roadshow Films
In these uncanny landscapes, the perceived divide between the social and the natural world is porous. We are encouraged to rethink our understanding of sentience (the ability to experience feelings), and to marvel at the ecologies of our world. Here, science, psychedelia and the supernatural combine to present new possibilities for discovering unseen realms and encountering wonder in the everyday.
‘Fairy Tales’ unfolds across three themed chapters. ‘Into the Woods’ explores the conventions and characters of traditional fairy tales alongside their contemporary retellings. ‘Through the Looking Glass’ presents newer tales of parallel worlds that are filled with unexpected ideas and paths. ‘Ever After’ brings together classic and current tales to celebrate aspirations, challenge convention and forge new directions.
Travel with us in our weekly series through each room and theme of the ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) as we delve into some of the works on display.
Patricia Piccinini’s magical installation Enchanted Field 2023 (illustrated) presents a collection of fragile, otherworldly creatures sheltered beneath another of her works, Celestial Field 2021 (illustrated) — a canopy of nearly 3000 ‘genetically modified’ blooms, forming an inverted garden in the sky. Piccinini’s vision is an invitation to a world of secrets, joys, sorrows and, above all, the possibility of meaningful relationships between humans, plants and animals. In this surreal landscape, the viewer also encounters two iterations of Piccinini’s Mushroom Ring 2021 (illustrated), with its central rotating forms, along with the suspended revolving sculpture Strand 2023; and Shoeform (Tresses) 2019 (illustrated), the brightly coloured mushroom caps of which unfurl to release a new wave of life.
Piccinini’s landscape of curiosity, beauty and unconventional encounters traverses the width of the gallery space. Viewers are welcomed by the feline‑esque creature La Brava 2021 (illustrated) and farewelled by a pelican-like creature nuzzling its tiny offspring, Clutch 2022. Both are gentle allegorical sculptures of bodies that appear to have been genetically modified to mimic the shape and texture of footwear. Creatures of biology and mass production, these works explore Piccinini’s interest in the increasingly porous subjects of science, technology and nature. In the tender sculpture at the centre of the installation, Sapling 2020 (illustrated), a son — who is a childlike plant — rides high on his human father’s shoulders, their heads resting together in connection and contentment. This work, which was inspired by a report on an ancient tree surviving on a busy intersection surrounded by petrol stations, considers the complex organic connections, relationships and biological intelligence of plants, and the possibility of them having agency.
Yayoi Kusama ‘Flowers that bloom at midnight’ 2011
Size often plays a significant role in fairy tales, be it through transformation, tests of character, moral lessons, or simply quirks of the magic realm. Yayoi Kusama’s exuberantly colourful Flowers that bloom at midnight 2011 (illustrated) that greets you at the entrance to the ‘Fairy tale’ exhibition is an especially large-scale blossom. With its gazing eye, it considers us at our own level, seeming to follow our movement around the space. You may well imagine Thumbelina, the fairy tale girl born of a magic flower, emerging from Kusama’s work, with its polka-dotted petals and highly polished surface of otherworldly pop allure.
The ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition is at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Australia from 2 December 2023 until 28 April 2024.
‘Fairy Tales Cinema: Truth, Power and Enchantment‘ presented in conjunction with GOMA’s blockbuster summer exhibition screens at the Australian Cinémathèque, GOMA from 2 December 2023 until 28 April 2024.
The major publication ‘Fairy Tales in Art and Film’available at the QAGOMA Store and online explores how fairy tales have held our fascination for centuries through art and culture.
‘Fairy Tales’ merchandise available at the GOMA exhibition shop or online.
Benefactors of the Gallery for 25 years, Ian and Judeen Airey recently raised the Collection’s holdings created by Japan-based French artist Paul Jacoulet from one work to 28. Here, the Aireys share something of themselves and their approach to collecting, and giving, with the wider Gallery community.
Our personal collection is very small, but it brings a warmth to our home that is unique to us. The first work of art we acquired was George Washington Lambert’s Head of a Woman, a pencil drawing created in 1912, in which he captures a nuanced expression of the human face. We were familiar with Lambert through our association with the Queensland Art Gallery; his paintings Portrait group (The mother) 1907 and Kitty Powell 1909 are Collection works we greatly appreciate. The influence of these earlier works is palpable in Head of a Woman, as Lambert’s style permeates every stroke of the pencil. In a strange way, the drawing created a link between our home and the Gallery. Head of a Woman is a key work in our collection; we display it in a central location and admire it regularly at mealtimes.
Our motivation to donate stems from the core values of our Christian culture, which emphasises the virtue of giving. We consider individuals to be intertwined with a collective spirit, which makes people members of a community — and we recognise that we are beneficiaries of the community into which we were born. Being truly privileged to have lived in Brisbane for so long, we feel a profound responsibility to contribute to its wellbeing. QAGOMA is the avenue along which we have chosen to express our appreciation.
We have discovered there is a genuine joy in philanthropy. Giving generates influences that transcend the act of contributing material resources: it’s about having a positive and meaningful effect on the lives of others. In the context of QAGOMA, giving is about building bridges between people; creating opportunities for people to understand the commonality that exists between us and enriches us all. Visual art is a powerful non-verbal medium to communicate this.
Paul Jacoulet ‘Chagrins d’Amour, Kusaie, Est Carolines’ 1940
Art serves as a unifying force through which we can identify shared experiences and transcend diverse backgrounds. Art sparks conversations, fosters empathy and becomes a shared language, expressing emotions that resonate universally. These are powerful motivators for us to contribute to QAGOMA’s success.
When we decided to fund four of the twelve panels of Albrecht Dürer’s ‘Apocalypse’ series, we were unaware that QAGOMA’s existing holdings had been initiated by the family of R Godfrey Rivers, who painted Under the jacaranda 1905 and was such an important influence in the establishment of the Queensland Art Gallery. What a wonderful privilege it is to have this juxtaposition with the Rivers family. The prints bring us pleasure and a quiet sense of satisfaction.
Of course, Dürer is a giant in art history and was influential in the Renaissance. We had the opportunity to visit the artist’s house in Nuremberg, and our Queensland Art Gallery connection with the Dürer works brought a special dimension to that visit. While there, we gained a broader appreciation of his extraordinary talent. His skillful mastery of various media, including painting, printmaking and engraving, distinguished him as a versatile and groundbreaking artist. Displays of his work attached to his house included images of his works which had been enlarged to many times their actual size. Even in these enlargement images, the quality of his craftmanship could not be faulted. Indeed, the works in the Collection reflect this. We have a growing sense of connection with the artist.
In the ‘Apocalypse’ series, Dürer is illustrating episodes from the Book of Revelations, the final book of the New Testament. His decision to tackle this esoteric subject matter demonstrates his intellectual ambition and spiritual depth. When one is close to the works, the artist’s mastery is unmistakable; and when one stands back, one is impressed by magnificent imagery, which is unforgettable.
When we first began to engage with the Gallery, our focus was on paintings. Initially, we contributed to the Foundation Appeal to acquire Grace Cossington Smith’s Church interior c.1941–42. Then, through dialogue with the Gallery, we began to look at works on paper. First, our attention was drawn to the Dürer woodcuts. We were astounded by the quality of these works and our interest in prints on paper grew. The next opportunity was to fund two drypoint etchings by Picasso, from his ‘Le Saltimbanque’ phase. We never imagined we could afford a Picasso! Not that we needed any persuasion, but the deal was sealed when we learned that the works would be installed beside the Gallery’s iconic Picasso, La Belle Hollandaise 1905. This was special. Having developed an appreciation for prints on paper, we jumped at the opportunity when the Gallery became interested in developing a collection of works by Paul Jacoulet.
A French-born artist who lived much of his life in Asia, Jacoulet’s body of work, largely created during the first half of the twentieth century, is characterised by a unique fusion of Japanese and European artistic traditions. His unique cross-cultural appreciation complements the Gallery’s focus on the art and artists of the Asia Pacific region. Jacoulet created his works using a woodblock printing technique, not dissimilar to Dürer. Unlike the German master, however, Jacoulet introduced vibrant colour to his prints. To achieve this, he needed one woodblock for each colour in each work. The precision required to overlay each woodblock accurately was very demanding, but he achieved it with aplomb. We hope the viewing public appreciates the Jacoulet prints as much as we do.
Paul Jacoulet ‘Les paradisiers, Menado, Célébes’ 1937
The first rotation of ‘Birds of Passage: Ian Fairweather and Paul Jacoulet’ is in Galleries 7 and 9 of the Philip Bacon Galleries, Queensland Art Gallery, from 24 February 2024 until 27 January 2025, with a second rotation opening in early February 2025 until late January 2026.
Fairy tales transport us to faraway lands that exist out of time. In much-loved and endlessly retold stories overflowing with kings and queens, castles and carriages, feasts and riches, we find adventure, community, happiness and love.
Celebrating classic tales of enchantment, transformation and caution, together with contemporary retellings by creative storytellers, the exhibition explores how these stories have held our collective fascination for centuries, and how, in the hands of artists, designers and filmmakers, they offer insights into our contemporary world.
‘Fairy Tales’ unfolds across three themed chapters. ‘Into the Woods’ explores the conventions and characters of traditional fairy tales alongside their contemporary retellings. ‘Through the Looking Glass’ presents newer tales of parallel worlds that are filled with unexpected ideas and paths. ‘Ever After’ brings together classic and current tales to celebrate aspirations, challenge convention and forge new directions.
Travel with us in our weekly series through each room and theme of the ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) as we place a spotlight on some of the works on display.
‘Through the Looking Glass’ — the second major theme of the exhibition — brings together art, film and design that embrace exploratory stories of fantastical parallel worlds. Social change in the nineteenth century saw the emergence of children’s literature as a distinct genre. Industrialisation and print technologies, education reform and a growing leisured middle class contributed to the development of the concept of ‘childhood’ as an important stage in life. Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 1865 and L Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 1900 are examples of tales that changed society’s views of children by emphasising their enchanted perspective on life.
Drawing on the wonder of the childlike imagination, the ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition presents works that straddle the divide between everyday reality and extraordinary realms, where wonder, empathy, curiosity and compassion are often imperative for survival. These ideas play out in images of puppets, toys, snow globes and clocks; twirling mushrooms and flying houses; and immersive, otherworldly gardens full of unusual creatures and magical pathways.
Maurice Sendak Original prints from ‘Where the Wild Things Are’
A wonderful example of the rich and playful world of childhood imagination is the beloved classic Where the Wild Things Are (1963) by illustrator and author Maurice Sendak. First conceived as a picture book, it is a story that has left an indelible mark on children’s literature over the past 60 years. A mischievous boy, Max, imagines a far-off land where he can be king. Sent to bed for misbehaving, Max’s vivid imagination transforms his bedroom into an exquisite forest, inhabited by fierce beasts promising wild adventures. Upon its release, the book caused concern among some adults, who questioned its depiction of childhood resentments and rebellion. However, the story’s focus on a child’s enchanted perspective as a means of processing tumultuous emotions has since been embraced, and Where the Wild Things Are has moved beyond the page — first to the stage then to the screen.
Jim Henson’s Creature Shop (designer) ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ 2009
Directed by Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are (2009) develops Maurice Sendak’s original story’s themes of childhood turmoil and frustration. In Jonze’s live-action telling, Max’s anguish is grounded in the ordeal of his parents’ divorce and the prospect of a new step-parent, and his inability to articulate grief, fear and fury at the world changing around him. The film is filled with an array of endearingly fearsome creatures, with their sharp teeth and claws reflecting Max’s inner psychological experience. The film is represented in the ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition through the wolf-suit costume, with crown and sceptre, worn by the actor playing Max on screen, alongside the captivating animatronic puppet costumes of ‘Wild Things’ Carol and Douglas (illustrated), created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.
The evolution of fairy tales on screen from the 1970s onwards was influenced by North American master craftsman, puppeteer and filmmaker Jim Henson. Like Maurice Sendak before him, Henson believed that darkness in childhood tales was an important part of processing troubles. Notable for his insightful characters and storytelling ability, Henson’s practice is represented here by his cult-classic coming-of-age film Labyrinth (1986). Told from the viewpoint of Sarah, a sulky teenager whose family dynamic has been splintered by divorce, remarriage and a new sibling, she envisions herself as a put-upon princess while babysitting her infant brother. Sarah wishes to be free of the crying child, and the wretched obligation to her (not so wicked) stepmother. Her wish is granted by the Goblin King, who takes the baby, thrusting Sarah into an adventure in a parallel world — filled with an ever-changing labyrinth, talking creatures, a peach of forgetting, and an otherworldly ballroom sequence — to retrieve him. The dreamlike logic of the film shifts between states of childhood and adulthood as Sarah realises she is not as ready as she thought to be grown up.
The film’s movement between worlds is represented in the ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition by props drawn from Sarah’s pre-adventurous life — selected toys, a Labyrinth book, a bookend and a music box from her bedroom, alongside a film clip that foreshadows their impending transformation into life-size characters and locations in the world of the labyrinth. The magical realm is represented by the props of a fairy-spraying gun, a 13-hour clock and crystal orbs, and a costume worn by the actor playing the Goblin King. These elements are brought to life with a clip of the film’s iconic Escherian staircase scene.
Lewis Carroll ‘Xie Kitchin, Captive Princess, 26 June 1875’ 1875
Lewis Carroll, England 1832–98 / Xie Kitchin, Captive Princess, 26 June 1875 1875 / Hand-tinted albumen photograph from wet plate negative on paper / 15.1 x 9.3cm (comp.) / Purchased 2020 with funds from the Henry and Amanda Bartlett Trust through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art
Elsie Wright & Frances Griffiths ‘Cottingley Fairies’ photographic series (1917–20)
The slippage between real life and a fairy tale realm was very tangible for Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1872). A lecturer in mathematics at Oxford University, Caroll was known as the Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. It was under the pen name of Lewis Carroll, however, that he revealed his love of writing, theatre, puppetry, photography and magic. Carroll often photographed his friends’ children enjoying the theatrics of dress-ups and play-acting, capturing these moments in a series of hand-tinted albumen photographs. The photograph Xie Kitchin, Captive Princess, 26 June 1875 shows one of Carroll’s favourite subjects, Alexandra (‘Xie’, pronounced ‘Eck-sy’) Rhoda Kitchin, who was the daughter of his colleague, Reverend George William Kitchin. In the photograph, Xie is dressed as a sullen princess awaiting her prince. This image is one of four taken on the same morning with her three younger brothers, George, Hugh and Brook, in which the family acted out a variety of stories.
The playful ‘Cottingley Fairies’ photographic series (1917–20) by cousins Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright, captures the whimsy of their childhood imagination and their wish to bring magic into the real world. Created in the northern English village of Cottingley when they were 9 and 16 years old, respectively, the series of five photographs were reportedly taken by the girls for their parents as ‘proof’ that fairies were responsible for their dishevelled appearances after playing in the garden every day. The photographs were taken at a time when spiritualism — a religious movement that believed one remained in spirit form after death — was in fashion, and photography was widely understood to be a truthful medium. They were shown at a local meeting of the Theosophical Society in mid‑1919 by Elsie Wright’s mother, where they were met with enthusiasm. Many were convinced of the images’ authenticity over the months that followed, including Sherlock Holmes author and prominent spiritualist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Understood as scientific evidence of a ‘faerie’ realm, the photographs reflect a moment in history when advancing technology held the possibility of connecting people with the supernatural — a poignant hope in the context of World War One, when many families sought contact with fallen loved ones. It was not until more than 60 years later that Elsie and Frances admitted their photographs were created through the artful use of paper cut-outs.
The ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition is at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Australia from 2 December 2023 until 28 April 2024.
‘Fairy Tales Cinema: Truth, Power and Enchantment‘ presented in conjunction with GOMA’s blockbuster summer exhibition screens at the Australian Cinémathèque, GOMA from 2 December 2023 until 28 April 2024.
The major publication ‘Fairy Tales in Art and Film’available at the QAGOMA Store and online explores how fairy tales have held our fascination for centuries through art and culture.
‘Fairy Tales’ merchandise available at the GOMA exhibition shop or online.
In the world of the fairy tale, witches and crones are not the only characters who generate mistrust and fear — ‘others’, outsiders and so-called misfits pushed to the margins of society, figure prominently in many tales. In these stories, people living outside the norm are branded as villains or monsters. The Beast from ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a prime example. Given our social needs, stories of isolation reflect a deeply human anxiety. In stories, as in life, perceived differences inspire actions born of fear — from petty quarrelling to ostracism or vengeful retaliation.
While retribution and revenge are ever-present elements of fairy tales, so too are questions of cruelty, injustice and the redemptive power of kindness. The darker side of fairy tales holds a mirror to our motivations and helps us navigate the ethical decisions in our everyday lives.
‘Fairy Tales’ unfolds across three themed chapters. ‘Into the Woods’ explores the conventions and characters of traditional fairy tales alongside their contemporary retellings. ‘Through the Looking Glass’ presents newer tales of parallel worlds that are filled with unexpected ideas and paths. ‘Ever After’ brings together classic and current tales to celebrate aspirations, challenge convention and forge new directions.
Travel with us in our weekly series through each room and theme of the ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) as we focus on some of the works on display.
Patricia Piccinini’s The Couple 2018 (illustrated) is haunting work that captures the isolation of those perceived as unwanted and unwelcome. Piccinini’s sculptures often touch on ideas of evolution, genetics and bioethics, seen through a lens of human empathy and curiosity. Her realistic creations are both familiar and foreign — illusions from an alternative world. The Couple presents a scene of intimacy and love in which two resting creatures lie in an embrace in a caravan, buffered from the cruel judgment of the world, if only in this moment. The characters’ uncanny otherness prompts contemplation of resilience, beauty and unconditional love.
Isobel Knowles, Van Sowerwine ‘You Were In My Dream’ 2010
Ideas of cloaking oneself through animal transformation pulse through the lush papercut stop‑motion animation and interactive installation You Were In My Dream 2010, by collaborating Australian artists Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine. Beginning with a small child sleeping on a jungle floor, the viewer wakes the child with a click of the mouse to find their face has been imposed onto the animated figure through a live video feed. Prompted to send their character on a magical journey by clicking on one of the many pulsing stars on the screen, echoes elements of the transformative chase in classic fairy tales, whereby a pursuit prompts the protagonist to shapeshift through several forms — a rabbit, monkey, wolf or bird. In a magical world that demands one to eat or be eaten, these changes are not without their own challenges.
The ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition is at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Australia from 2 December 2023 until 28 April 2024.
‘Fairy Tales Cinema: Truth, Power and Enchantment‘ presented in conjunction with GOMA’s blockbuster summer exhibition screens at the Australian Cinémathèque, GOMA from 2 December 2023 until 28 April 2024.
The major publication ‘Fairy Tales in Art and Film’ available at the QAGOMA Store and online explores how fairy tales have held our fascination for centuries through art and culture.
‘Fairy Tales’ merchandise available at the GOMA exhibition shop or online.
In fairy tales, women are often cast in the role of maiden, (step)mother or crone, many stories focus on the transition from girlhood to womanhood, with marriage (and motherhood) the ideal outcome. Coming-of-age journeys in classic tales, however, are often fraught. There are dangers for girls who fail to adhere to societal expectations — they can turn into the threatening figures of the disagreeable crone or the evil witch, who lives alone in the fearsome woods.
‘Fairy Tales’ unfolds across three themed chapters. ‘Into the Woods’ explores the conventions and characters of traditional fairy tales alongside their contemporary retellings. ‘Through the Looking Glass’ presents newer tales of parallel worlds that are filled with unexpected ideas and paths. ‘Ever After’ brings together classic and current tales to celebrate aspirations, challenge convention and forge new directions.
Travel with us in our weekly series through each room and theme of the ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) as we highlight works on display.
Enter the Witch House
Witches tend to be cast as unpredictable, vengeful or malevolent forces, who possess supernatural powers and secret knowledge. Often, they are women feared for their very independence. While witches’ dark motives make them the villains of many fairy tales, contemporary tellings such as Trulee Hall’s Witch House(Umbilical Coven) 2023 (illustrated) reframe them as empowering female role models. Tracing the associations in fairy tales between age, gender, fertility and influence highlights the ways our society is constantly changing. Today, many stories celebrate the redemptive powers and joys of ‘witchiness’, and powerful witches in literature, film and television are often complex characters, rather than simple stereotypes.
Witches in fairy tales commonly live far away from towns and villages. Self-sufficient, they rarely choose to live with others. A witch’s home is often enchanted, filled with magical objects, ancient knowledge and power.
Sculptor, painter and filmmaker Trulee Hall’s wonderfully theatrical Witch House(Umbilical Coven) 2023 revels in the power of witches and the positive aspects of non-conformity. Jet-black and precariously constructed, this dwelling is at once alluring and daunting. Inside is a video work combining elements of live action with stop-motion animation, featuring images of feminine energy, fertility and a seance. A place of power, transgression and action, Witch House(Umbilical Coven) reclaims and celebrates the figure of the witch.
The ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition is at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Australia from 2 December 2023 until 28 April 2024.
‘Fairy Tales Cinema: Truth, Power and Enchantment‘ presented in conjunction with GOMA’s blockbuster summer exhibition screens at the Australian Cinémathèque, GOMA from 2 December 2023 until 28 April 2024.
The major publication ‘Fairy Tales in Art and Film’ available at the QAGOMA Store and online explores how fairy tales have held our fascination for centuries through art and culture.
‘Fairy Tales’ merchandise available at the GOMA exhibition shop or online.
Not all those who find themselves deep in the woods have gone there willingly, with lost or abandoned children recurrent characters in fairy tales — at a time when women frequently died in childbirth, their remaining children often faced challenging domestic situations. In ‘Hansel and Gretel’, the siblings are abandoned in the woods by their father and stepmother due to a lack of food. This story, which plays on fears of abandonment, disorientation and helplessness, remains one of the best known of the Brothers Grimm’s tales.
In many narratives where home is not a nurturing space, children venture into the woods seeking sanctuary. While the woods are rarely entirely benevolent environments, the child protagonists demonstrate courage and resilience, often reaping the rewards of their trials. Historically, the bush and the outback are powerful settings for challenging the anxieties of the Australian national consciousness. Real and fictional stories of lost children are very much part of our country’s psyche, and they reveal pervasive feelings of vulnerability, distrust and fear.
‘Fairy Tales’ unfolds across three themed chapters. ‘Into the Woods’ explores the conventions and characters of traditional fairy tales alongside their contemporary retellings. ‘Through the Looking Glass’ presents newer tales of parallel worlds that are filled with unexpected ideas and paths. ‘Ever After’ brings together classic and current tales to celebrate aspirations, challenge convention and forge new directions.
Travel with us in our weekly series through each room and theme of the ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) as we feature some of the works on display.
In fairy tales, the line between make-believe and reality is often blurred. In Tracey Moffatt’s screenprints from her ‘Invocations’ series the artist explores the collective fear of abandonment and vulnerability at the heart of many ‘lost children’ fairy tales. Both eerie and inviting, watchful trees trace the movements of a young girl deep in a sentient European forest, recalling the aesthetics of twentieth-century fairy-tale cinema — from Walt Disney Studio animations to The Wizard of Oz (1939). Moffatt’s process, too, treads the line between fact and fiction, with photographs screen-printed, layer by layer, to resemble the texture of a painting. The uncanny imagery of these works prompts questions about race, colonialism and belonging in different landscapes.
Many fairy tale themes are universal and move across geographical borders, cultures and time. Lost children — in the forest, the wilderness or the desert — is a theme central to several stories and can be found throughout Australian art, literature and film.
In Polixeni Papapetrou’s ‘Haunted Country’ photographic series of 2006 the artist restages both historical and fictional stories of children lost in the Australian bush. Depicting her own children and their friends in vulnerable situations, Papapetrou touches on the concerns of early settlers, imagining the vastness of the Australian landscape heightening feelings of defencelessness against the unknown.
The ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition is at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Australia from 2 December 2023 until 28 April 2024.
‘Fairy Tales Cinema: Truth, Power and Enchantment‘ presented in conjunction with GOMA’s blockbuster summer exhibition screens at the Australian Cinémathèque, GOMA from 2 December 2023 until 28 April 2024.
The major publication ‘Fairy Tales in Art and Film’available at the QAGOMA Store and online explores how fairy tales have held our fascination for centuries through art and culture.
‘Fairy Tales’ merchandise available at the GOMA exhibition shop or online.
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We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art stands and recognise the creative contribution First Australians make to the art and culture of this country.
