Brooklyn to Brooklyn

In the winter of 2004, I hired a houseboat in Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River in NSW. One very cold morning, I awoke to view that stunning landscape through condensation on the windows. For one who has always been drawn to abstraction, but struggled with the mind set (what is abstraction anyway?) I’d inadvertently created a semi-abstract image simply by breathing. Drawing into the misty window, as a child might draw a “smiley face”, offered further opportunity to comment on my environment

While I was living in Brooklyn, New York last year, I employed the same technique. This was the perfect vehicle to break down all of the detail of that very busy urban landscape. I often imposed the window when it didn’t exist, to then draw a few simple lines into the condensation to further simplify the image, and get to the essence of the subject.

In winter this year, I went back to Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury to put this exhibition together. An exhibition about the journey of an idea or concept. I’ve enjoyed employing this technique to unify two extremely different locations.

Brendon Darby