Peter Ward, “Divining The Entrails”

Peter Ward
St. Albans Park, Australia
peterwardprintmaker.com

Divining The Entrails
2021
linocut
10″ x 11″ x 1″ (closed) 10″ x 110″ (fully open)

Artist Statement

Divining The Entrails is a concertina book in a limited edition of seven. When fully open it measures 25cm high by 280 cm long. Within its hardcovers are eighteen stark, black and white linocut prints describing a landscape of magical thinking, mythical monsters and omens. It’s visual narrative explores the rejection of science and critical thinking in favour of misinformation, fanciful conspiracies and superstitions. Society’s anxiety in the face of the existential threats of catastrophic climate change and global pandemic lie just below the surface of each image. Process underpins all my work. I begin with collages of seemingly random images and thoughts allowing the collage, as it coalesces, to play a part in developing the theme. Consequently a unique and personal visual vocabulary continues to be developed and preoccupations with despair over the state of our environment and fascination with images of magical thinking constantly reoccur.