Beside the Kings Highway, Adam crosses over, leaving his mother’s pouch, the lights of citybound cars, snow gums, stark in winter. And the night will take him back.
(Lumachrome glass print, chemigram. Still-born joey delivered from a road-killed wombat, with minimal photochemistry and household salt, exposed eight months and four days, under perspex in a geodesic dome.)
On a night of meteor showers and lit uranium mines, Jeremy, released from his chickenhawk body by a passing truck, unfolds his thousand-eyed wings.
(Lumachrome glass print, cliche-verre, chemigram, drawing. Roadkilled chickenhawk, sand, vegemite, household and decomposition chemicals, rodinal, graphite, biro, bromide, wax, and marbles on Fomapan fibre paper. Exposed 47 hours in rainlight in a geodesic dome.)
In the garden of Namadji, a tree holds nine small birds in its arms, as they grieve for their friend beneath the earth.
(Lumachrome glass print, chemigram, drawing. Ten still born Keats, pressed native fuchsia (Eremophila Latrobe), sea-water and vegemite on fibre paper. Exposed 21 hours in a polycarbonate greenhouse.)
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, hatched in fire and lifting, triumphant over the burning Murray River, on an umbilicus of light.
(Lumachrome glass print, cliche-verre, chemigram, acid wash and drawing. Three still born guinea fowl chicks, hen lost to old age, acid, sand, vegemite and sesame seeds on fibre paper. Exposed 23 hours in a geodesic dome in natural sunlight.)
For ascending night-flyers, the lights of Wangaratta grow increasingly smaller, until they resemble constellations, and the difference between above and below is lost. Four starlings climb into a black mirror sky, on their return trip to Zeta Reticuli, star country of intergalactic birds.
(Lumachrome Glass Print, Cliche-verre, chemigram, drawing. Four window-killed starlings, seeds, sand, graphite and household chemicals on fibre paper. Exposed 46 hours in a geodesic dome.)
Jenni, in spirit form, watches the first UFOs appear above the West MacDonnell Ranges.
(Lumachrome glass print, cliche-verre, chemigram, painting. Fox-killed Guinea Fowl, sticks, white-out, leaves, sand, crayon, eyeliner and salt on fibre paper. Exposed 47 hours in a geodesic dome.)
Martin dreams a barn owl into being, over Mt Jillamatong, on a night of flying saucers and stars. (Lumachrome glass print, chemigram, cliche-verre and drawing. Road-killed Eastern Barn Owl, sand, graphite, wax and ink on fibre paper. Exposed 32 hours in a geodesic dome.)
Robyn, still-born among wildflowers and flint, and the Sun will return her to the sky, like a dazzling, burning bird.
(Lumachrome Glass Print, Cliche-verre, Chemigram and drawing. Stillborn calf, flowers, flint, chalk, coloured inks, vegemite and bleach, on fibre paper. Exposed 52 hours in a geodesic dome.)
She remembered running, baby in pouch, the burrow nearly visible, birds lifting from the watertank at the first rifle’s crack– so cold in the long grass, day drops night, and the joey stills. In the winter sky over Braidwood, Enid finds her baby again, as a spark in starfields.
(Lumachrome glass print, cliche-verre, chemigram and drawing. Shot wombat mother and her frozen joey. Exposed 49 hours, with salt, sand, ochres, gold chloride, white-out and clay, on fibre paper in a geodesic dome.)
Marcia sounds her wild freedom songs over the houses of the bigots. (For Marcia Langton, after the referendum)
(Lumachrome glass print, cliche-verse, chemigram, drawing. Drowned ghost bat, ochre, mud, wax, coloured markers and sand on fibre paper. Exposed 46 hours in an abandoned car.)
Leaving his wheelchair, Emmanuel drifts over Canberra in the body of a jewelled shrike-thrush (for Emmanuel Nunes, 1941-2012).
(Lumachrome glass print, cliche-verre, chemigram. Roadkill Grey Shrike-Thrush, seeds, liquid-paper, stalks and petals on fibre paper. Exposed under marked perspex, 26 hours in rain light.)
Zoe descends to comfort her daughters, in a burning country
(Lumachrome glass print, cliche-verre, chemigram. Smoke killed baby tiger snake on fibre paper with seeds and honey (for the stars – constellation lines drawn on with pencil) and glass plate. Exposed 32 hours in rain and bushfire smoke, then rubbed with charcoal from the burned trees.)
Lily returns to Altair, the brightest of Aquila’s stars, wearing the body of a crow.
(Lumachrome glass print, cliche-verre. Roadkill crow, ochres & dandelion seeds on fibre paper. Exposed 32 hours in autumn light under brushed perspex.)
Ben sometimes felt he carried his artist girlfriend a lot, but she painted him stars while he slept.
(Lumen Print. Double exposure. Roadkill magpie, seeds and ash on fibre paper. First exposure, 12 hours under marked glass in the back of a ute. Second exposure, 12 hours with additional seeds and dirt. Winter light.)
Judith Nangala Crispin 