Darkness Visible

Carl Warner
Darkness Visible
25 Feb – 21 March 2015

Darkness Visible
There is an apocryphal story of the painter J.M.W. Turner having himself lashed to a mast during a
storm and deciding that if he survived the experience he was bound to record it. I say apocryphal for
it appears that Turner was as good a showman as he was a painter. It is a story that sticks, an
unctuous and oily legacy despite Turner’s light hand with paint, to any attempting to work with
landscape, even photographers. There is a demand that nature must be experienced so that it can
be translated, it must be seen as wild, irrepressible and above all sublime.
I went on my own journey of a few hours through turbid weather and heaving seas to make this series
of work. Instead of a masted ship I was on a tourist ferry in Milford sound, one of the wettest places on
earth. There were few on the boat but we all had our lenses in cameras or phones to record the
experience. The camera, like Turner’s story, allows us to appear centrally within nature as both maker
and viewer. My story doesn’t have the derring do of Turner’s, it is a modern version where nature is
visited rather than visited upon. We seem to believe there is less nature now and place ourselves
apart, outside of the natural course of things. An amazing conceit that I have never really understood.
My interest in photography is not in the “what has been’ of the image but rather the ‘what could
be’. When we look at a photograph we never really see what we are looking at (the print, the
screen) but rather what we think was before the lens. Time is upset as the past happens in a
contemporary field and a myriad of desires awaken. In this series I hope you ’sense’ the
elemental of water on water on water; rain, waterfall and sea. Fear the great danger of water,
the force of it and breath the vapour it becomes. May it be a metaphor for whatever you desire,
a metonymical aspect of the storm, a mnemonic for your own travels. And I hope you are dry
when you do it, because I was soaked.
Carl Warner
January 2015

Darkness Visible # 1
lambda print on archival paper
120 x 90cm $3,200
ed 1/5
unframed prices

Darkness Visible # 2
lambda print on archival paper
120 x 90cm $3,200
ed 1/5
unframed prices

Darkness Visible # 3
lambda print on archival paper
120 x 90cm $3,200
ed 1/5
unframed prices

Darkness Visible # 4
lambda print on archival paper
120 x 90cm $3,200
ed 1/5
unframed prices

Darkness Visible # 5
lambda print on archival paper
120 x 90cm $3,200
ed 1/5
unframed prices

Darkness Visible # 6
lambda print on archival paper
45 x 60 cm
$1,500
ed 1/5
unframed prices

Darkness Visible # 7
lambda print on archival paper
60 x 45 cm
$1,500
ed 1/5
unframed prices

Darkness Visible # 8
lambda print on archival paper
45 x 60 cm
$1,500
ed 1/5
unframed prices

Darkness Visible # 9
lambda print on archival paper
45 x 60 cm
$1,500
ed 1/5
unframed prices

Cabin #3
lambda print on archival paper
19 x 25 cm
$600
ed 1/5
unframed prices
Cabin #4
lambda print on archival paper
19 x 25 cm
$600
ed 1/5
unframed prices

Cabin #5
lambda print on archival paper
19 x 25 cm
$600
ed 1/5
unframed prices
Cabin #6
lambda print on archival paper
19 x 25 cm
$600
ed 1/5
unframed prices

Carl Warner
Bio
Carl Warner (b. 1965) has been exhibiting since 1989. His work is included in major Australian
Collections such as QGOMA, University of Queensland Art Museum, Artbank, National Parliament,
R.A.C.V, Monash University and QUT. Solo exhibitions have included Sense (CCP Melbourne), A
Concrete Pasture (UQAM), Under (Christine Abrahams Gallery), The Surface (Esa Jaske Gallery) and
The Remembered Present (Jan Manton Art). As well Warner has participated in important group
exhibitions including The Art of Inclusion (QAG), Minimal (ACP), Fortitude (QAG), Retrospective
(Canberra Contemporary Artspace), Sleight (QCP), The Lake (Tapei) and Silver (MoB).
In 2006 the University of Queensland Art Museum launched Sensing the Surface a survey exhibition
and publication of Warner’s photographic output between the years 1995 and 2005. Warner’s
work also featured heavily in Anne Marsh’s comprehensive publication “Contemporary Australian
Photogrpahy and Photographers”. In 2013 he participated in the Silver exhibition at the Museum of
Brisbane and is currently completing a major commission for the Spicers Hotel group.
CV
Solo Exhibitions
2011 The remembered present Jan Manton Art Brisbane
2010 oblivion Jan Manton Art Brisbane
2009 oblivious Kristian Pithe Melbourne
2007 Disturbance Jan Manton Art Brisbane
2007 Twenty : Twenty Museum of Brisbane Brisbane
2006 Sensing the surface University Art Museum Brisbane
2006 nothingtoseehear Christine Abrahams Gallery Melbourne
2006 nothingtoseehear Jan Manton Art Brisbane
2005 The Surface Esa Jäske Gallery Sydney
2004 The Surface (projection) University Art Museum Brisbane
Surface Jan Manton Art Gallery Brisbane
Nature is Esa Jäske Gallery Sydney
2003 under Christine Abrahams Gallery Melbourne
2002 they all come back Soap Box Gallery Brisbane
under (projection) IMA Brisbane
Colour Field Soap Box Gallery Brisbane
2001 Carl Warner Christine Abrahams Gallery Melbourne
1999 vessel Milburn Gallery Brisbane
a concrete pasture Cairns Regional Gallery Cairns
1998 a concrete pasture University Art Museum Brisbane
1997 detritus Milburn Gallery Brisbane
1995 sense CCP Melbourne
Doggett St Studios
Brisbane
Cairns Regional Gallery
Cairns
matter without meaning Michael Burke Gallery Brisbane
garden The Vine Brisbane
1992 overwhatwecreatewehavenocontrol IRG Ipswich
1991 industrial series III &IV Photographers Gallery Brisbane
1990 gardening and chaos Photographers Gallery Brisbane
1989 Tosca Photographers Gallery Brisbane
1988 photographs Photographers Gallery Brisbane
Group Exhibitions
2011 Waiting for Asylum UQ Art Museum Brisbane
2009 150 Years : Photography in Queensland Art Gallery Brisban
Queensland from the Collection
2005 Idiosyncrasy Q.C.P Brisbane
The Lake Taipei Artist Village
Taipei
on the unseen Esa Jaske Gallery Sydney
2004 Sleight Redlands Art Gallery Cleveland
Surface QCP Brisbane
Seeing the Collection The Mayne Centre Brisbane

2003 Inaugural Exhibition Esa Jäske Gallery Sydney
Botanica Mackay Artspace
Macka
falling in love Soap Box Gallery Brisbane
2000 Fortitude Queensland Art Gallery Brisbane
minimal A.C.P Sydney
Flash IMA Brisbane
1999 Retro Version C.C.A.S Canberra
Newcastle University Art Museum
Sydney
The Art of Inclusion Queensland Art Gallery Brisbane
Touring Exhibitions
1998 Baroque Institute Modern Art Brisbane
Transvisual
RGAQ Touring Exhibition
1997 Run Milburn Gallery Brisbane
1996 The Power to Move Queensland Art Gallery Brisbane
Kunstwöllen Fortitude Gallery Brisbane
1993 Outside looking in Queensland Art Gallery Brisbane
Bibliography
Marsh, A, ‘Contemporary Australian Photography and Photographers’ Macmillan, Melbourne, 2008
McLean, S, “Sensing the Surface”, The Courier Mail, June 17 – 18 2006, p. 11
Martin-Chew, L, “Industrial-strength abstract photography”, The Australian, June 2006
Butler S, Williamson C, Grant K, Kubler A, Ehmann F, “Sensing the surface”, UAM publication, 2006
The Lake “Towards a cross-cultural dialogue”, Treasure Hill tea and photo, Taiwan.
Hawker R, Idiosyncrasy (exhibition catalogue), QCP Brisbane 2005
Best S, Photofile 63, A.C.P Sydney 2001
Morrell T, Colour Field (exhibition catalogue), 2002
Murray Cree. L, “New Work by Young Australians”, Art & Australia Vol38/4
Butler S, Australian Art Collector 16 “Undiscovered”
Pedersen C, Eyeline, Qld Artworkers Alliance, 2000
Walsh J, Fortitude (exhibition catalogue), Qld Art Gallery, Brisbane, 2000
Grant K, a concrete pasture (exhibition catalogue), University Art Museum, 1998
Matthews K, Eyeline no 36, Qld Artworkers Alliance, 1998
Szulakowska U, Eyeline no 9, Qld Artworkers Alliance, 1990
Williamson C, Photofile, A.C.P. Sydney, 1993
Eyre A J, not only Black&White no 9, Sydney, 1994
Powell S, Eyeline no 29, Qld Artworkers Alliance, 1996
Williamson C, sense (exhibition catalogue), Melbourne, 1995
Grant K Kirker A. & Williamson C, The Power to Move (exhibition catalogue), Qld Art Gallery, Brisbane 1996
Grants 2004 Major grant Arts Queensland
2002 New work Australia Council
1994 Development grant Arts Queensland
1994 Project grant Arts Queensland
Commissions/prizes
2008 Infinity Forest Evolutions Building, cnr Tank Street Brisbane
2007 Glendalough Historic Houses, Ipswich Regional Gallery
2002 Design Development Capalaba Streetscape
2002 Concept Development Capalaba Streetscape
2002 Concept Development 33 Charlotte Street Brisbane
2001 Concept Development (core wall) 33 Charlotte Street Brisbane
2000 Toowoomba Regional Gallery Acquisitive Prize
2000 G.P South Foyer University of Queensland
1999 Duhig Library Foyer University of Queensland
1998 Hong Kong Bank Building Foyer Brisbane
1992 overwhatwecreatewehavenocontrol Ipswich Regional Gallery
Collections
Artbank
Brisbane City Gallery
Cairns Regional Gallery
Duhig Library
Daryl Hewson Collection
Ipswich Regional Gallery
Knights Frank Collection
KPMG Collection
Queensland Art Gallery
Regional Galleries Association of Queensland
Toowoomba Regional gallery
University of Queensland Art Museum
Brisbane Boys Grammar
Ian Potter Art Gallery – University Melbourne
Mackay Artspace
Rockhampton Regional Gallery
VIsy Corporation Art Collection
Private and Corporate collections, Australia

janmantonart
VALUATION, CONSULTANCY + COLLECTION MANAGEMENT
1/93 Fortescue St Spring Hill Q 4000
+61 7 3831 3060
info@janmantonart.com
janmantonart.com