Contrast and Compare Fredrick McCubbin's Painting, on the Wallaby Track with Jeff Carters Photograph, the Drovers Wife

BELONGING

Contrast and compare Fredrick McCubbin's painting, On the Wallaby Track with Jeff Carters photograph, The Drovers Wife. Consider the composers different purposes and how these purposes are achieved. Include details of content and techniques.

The sense of belonging is important within society and cultures globally. People thrive on being accepted and involved. The definition of Belonging is: to be rightly put into a particular position or class; to fit or be acceptable in a particular place or environment; to belong to or be a member of; or the property or possession of. These various terms provides the context of belonging within our society.

The role of image is to communicate, to make you think and to provide interpretation and show different perspectives. Images are visual and can provide a greater understanding to situations. Images are global, can be interpreted by cultures. There are many different aspects that can be discussed with using images. Colour and light can provide clarity and depth to images. Images that lack colour and light can be interpreted as dark, sad, gloomy and depressing. This is all relative to the context of individual images. Images provide purpose and allow different perspectives.

The Drovers Wife (1959) taken by Jeff Carter is a black and white photograph with a drover, his wife and their child sitting in front of a car. The subjects take up the majority of the visual space and this is what the viewer focuses on. The two people are not connected or touching physically but are connected as a family by their child. The lack of colour in the image provides more focus on the subjects. This image has a strong emphasis on the family and their lifestyle. The woman is looking at camera lens and the man is looking at his baby, this could be interpreted as a father admiring his child.

Drovers Wife represents an Australian identity of strength and survival. Heroism, contrasting appreciation of her strengths and weaknesses which include being a mother. She is the universal image of bush women. The purpose of this photograph is to celebrate struggling outback families and admire their ability to in the outback and remain proud throughout their hardship.

On the surface the photograph looks positive but as you look deeper into the situation and think of a much deeper subjective meaning cracks appear from their challenging lifestyle. The photograph is natural, it is not creating a false image of happiness and perfection.

Fredrick McCubbin's On the Wallaby Track (1896) is a painting with a mother, baby and father sitting in a forest like environment. The painting is dark with dull, lifeless colours but has lighter patches where the eye is drawn that symbolises the relief at the end of their journey. The family looks exhausted but the pathway provides freedom and hope. There is a definite foreground, mid ground and background