Raymond Edward Arnold (b 1950), printmaker, moved to Tasmania to be closer to environmental issues and the wilderness. Through direct experience and observation, his work determines man's relationship with the environment. Arnold produces elaborate, passionate depictions of reality which inspire viewers to reflect on conservational concerns and the appreciation of Tasmania's rugged beauty. Spending six months each year in his Paris studio, Arnold investigates notions of history and memory, masculinity and duty, war and dislocation. He explores the battlefields of the Somme, and studies the masculine/feminine duality of the form and surface details of Henry IV's armour, juxtaposed with remnants of old lace. The reflective nature of the etching process, continuous modifications to a single plate, the inter-changing of plates, reversal of colours and textural surface detail are all vital aspects of Arnold's work.

Diane Foster