Siganto Foundation Creative Fellow Peter Charuk delivers “Collateral Atmospherics: Evidence”.

Friday 3oth June was an exciting day in the Australian Library of Art when Peter Charuk delivered his new artists’ book “Collateral Atmospherics: Evidence”. The work is the culmination of his Siganto Foundation Creative Artists’ Book Fellowship. Along with the displayed book Peter also supplied two mock up copies of the book and his ‘ideas diary’ which documents his research journey. In addition Peter also donated copies of some of his earlier artists’ books dating from 1985 to 2009.

Peter delivers “Collateral Atmospherics: Evidence”. Photo courtesy of Peter Charuk.

Our resident guest blogger Normana Wight was impressed with the new addition to the collection.

Here is the note that she left me and her thoughts on Peter’s latest work.

I think my role here is to link the various stages of Peter’s creative journey in a way that will enlighten and enthuse the reader. The book becomes a spectacular trip through some of the more riotous behaviour of Queensland’s tropic and sub tropic weather.

Peter Binding his book. Photo courtesy of Peter Charuk

"Collateral Atmospherics: Evidence"

I come originally from Melbourne, which notoriously has 4 seasons in one day; every Geography lesson at school began with that day’s weather map, and of course the forecast for the coming couple of days – high pressure – low pressure – wind direction – rainfall.
‘ Wind, rain, thunder and lightning!’

Farmers live by the weather; fishermen likewise. Most people in the world are intrigued or scared by the power of weather events.
Peter’s choice of photographs from the collection in the State Library of Queensland is eloquent in evoking our fear and fascination with what happens in our local ‘Atmospheres.’

Ideas diary

Page from mock up book

So looking through his selection will stir memories and moods, or raise a few questions about our environment.

The State Library possesses an historic weather diary from Afton Downs Station in Central Queensland. (See below).
Descriptions of extreme weather events, rainfall, storms, cane fires, bushfires, floods, cyclones, dust storms, and so-on.

Page from mock up book with the Afton Downs Station rain book.

Peter's finished book is quite large – about A3 on its side.
Plain black cover, with black and white illustrations assembled in an ordered manner; without any flashy sense of melodrama.
The sense of danger is enough as it is.

The photographs here are quite small, by today’s standards. So if you want to see them ‘in all their glory’ you will need to come to the State Library of Queensland. Level Four, and arrange to view.

Normana Wight 8/8/17