Shane Jones

The Artist

Shane Jones, Charles Nodrum Gallery, 25 November - 18 December 2010, no. 4;
Modern Australian Painting, Charles Nodrum Gallery, 17 March - 9 April 2011, no. 56

Reference: Dr. Vincent Alessi, Do I Really Know…, catalogue essay, Charles Nodrum Gallery, 2010: "Shane Jones is one of this country's foremost trompe l'oeil artists: it has been his modus operandi for many years. ... His skill goes beyond merely being able to trick the viewer into believing they are looking at the "real thing". Rather his use of this long-standing painting tradition is the catalyst for deeper investigation: Jones' real concern is with the notion that as individuals we know very little about ourselves, let alone others. ... The [television screen captures] the Australian inland in all its plasma and LCD glory. For many of us, this landscape, which has become part of the national psyche and narrative, is quite often only known via this digitally mediated experience. ... Jones challenges us to go beyond the purely aesthetic and to ask (italics) Do I really know this landscape? Do I really know myself?"

These are the Perry Sandhills, in Wentworth, NSW. The current drought affecting eastern Australia has been so severe that native trees all over the country have begun to perish. Scientists are increasingly using technology to try and document and monitor real-time changes occurring in the natural world. The Dead Tree Detective is a citizen science project that is collecting observations and photographs of dead or dying trees around Australia. This way everyday Australians like farmers, bushwalkers and other members of the public can help monitor the health of our trees and ecosystems from national parks to their own backyards. How our native trees cope with our changing climate will affect biodiversity, water supply, bushfire risks and carbon storage.
Dr Joelle Gergis, April 2019