Jonny Niesche Bexhill Quarry (after N.O.)

Jonny Niesche sees colour as an all-encompassing element of our environment. He says, ‘It is on the surface of everything we see, everything around us; it physiologically affects our experience of the world.’

The cool hues in this work refer to the water inside the old Bexhill Quarry, a popular swimming spot on Bundjalung Country in northern NSW. Created by dyeing transparent fabric, which is then layered and stretched over the picture frame, Niesche’s near intangible field of pigment summons the sensation of plunging into a deep, clear pool.

Niesche is interested in a shade of water that represents something ‘almost unreachable and perfect’ and is used to sell holiday experiences the world over. This drew him to the quarry, where a turquoise tint is maintained by a mix of natural minerals leaching from the former mine site. In this depiction of the site, Niesche’s paradisal colours meet the consequences of environmental extraction.

A first-time Wynne finalist, Niesche was previously a finalist in the Sulman Prize.