Tracey Moffatt
Laudanum, #1, 1998
Set of 19 images
Toned photogravure print on rag paper
76 × 57cm
Edition of 60
I went to see the exhibition ‘10 ways to look at the past’ at the Ian Potter Centre-NGV Australia. The show is about the passage of time interpreted by 10 contemporary Australian artists. What caught my eye was the Tracey Moffat’s series Laudanum, featuring 19 black-and-white framed prints. The softness of the images and the composition created a mesmerising dreamscape. I got the sense of the past and I felt like I was staring at some old found photographs. There is something mysterious, haunting, and erotic in the narrative. This series would make anyone appreciate the fine art of darkroom processes.