Huts: Alex White

For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed heading out into the bush. Either for the day or multiple days at a time, planning every detail down to the last tent peg. Witnessing the changing environment depending on the weather or frame of mind I’m in at the time. Being humbled by the difficulty of the walk or feeling elated through perseverance at the end of the day. Everything soon falls into place once perspective sets in, knowing that we are owed nothing and understanding the need for sustenance and shelter.

The hut is a humble, functional structure, designed to provide shelter and withstand the elements relevant to their environment. They do not seek to define the landscape but embody their surroundings. Built using various materials by the hands of those that experienced the landscape for generations. Commonly constructed by drovers, miners, trappers, and bush walkers out of pure necessity.

Over the years, huts have allowed me to become completely immersed in the landscape by creating a sanctuary and providing shelter. Throughout each trip I document the day as it unfolds, I achieve this by taking photographs or writing brief notes. For me, this is a byproduct of bush walking.

Each hut in this series was initially photographed using 35mm black and white film and processed at home in my garage. These photographs were then used as reference material while sketching each work onto an MDF wood block before beginning the carving process. I chose this medium to emphasise the weathered textures of the materials used to construct each hut and their surrounding landscapes.

Image: Lee’s Paddocks Hut, Wood Block relief print, 2023

Exhibition opening event: 2pm Sunday 4th August