From the Artist

“ I have always been fascinated by the changing of the seasons in Australia’s southern states. You can almost feel the exact day that the weather changes from summer to autumn.

The days suddenly shorten, the temperatures drop, the humidity dries up, and the European style streets of our southern capitals immediately feel different. Even our endless blue sky changes to a wispier white hue.

In Canberra in particular, where the city’s streets were planned and planted with strong European influences, the deciduous trees put on a spectacular show.

The leaves change from rich greens to light greens, pale yellows, oranges in all intensities, and even to red and plum. And then they fall. Making a wonderfully tactile carpet of crunchy, earth toned leaves.

Drawing on inspiration from the works of philanthropist and artist Joseph Banks in 1770, I had originally intended this collection - Capital Autumn - to document a unique moment of seasonal change in Canberra.

But I never imagined that as I was capturing this seasonal change for Capital Autumn, Australia would be voting for a tectonic change in our relationship with nature.

No longer was our nation prepared to accept the destructive environmental policy of the government of the day. For the first time the nation was voting en-masse for climate action. And punishing political parties, and political figures, who were not prepared to address the climate crisis now “.

--- Cam Hemming, 2022