Ebb Tide, 1988

ANN THOMSON
Ebb Tide, 1988
Oil on linen canvas
400 x 550 cm

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Artist Ann Thomson, title Ebb Tide 1988. Ebb Tide is an imaginative and evocative depiction of Sydney Harbour. A dark, dreamlike scene in which shipping vessels seem to be metamorphosing into fantastic creatures gushing water and waving snaking arms. The ebb tide is a period of transition as boats move in and out and water recedes dispersing into darkness. Thomson suggests this through her expressionist imagery which dissolves into abstraction while still maintaining some visible connections to the environment. The artist has stated of her work that, reality lies beneath the surface, but how deep it is not easy to grasp, unquote. This is reinforced by Thomson’s thick textural paintwork which creates a rich tactile surface. Curling around the edges of the work, the sinuous line of the harbour foreshore encloses a restless expanse of water animated by energetic brushstrokes. The cool deep blues of the harbour contrast with the warm red oxides of the boats that ply its surface. In this work, the harbour is alive with activity, crowded with tankers spewing ballast, tugs with wild protuberances, and a tall ship with creamy white sails all emerging from the darkness.