Landscape through lines: Jo McFadyen on Linescape at Tyger

Artist Jo McFadyen whose show Linescape is on at Tyger from 19-28 January, 2024.

The striking lines and shapes of the Australian landscape come into focus at Tyger this month through the stunning work of artist Jo McFadyen.

The Victorian artist creates incredibly beautiful abstract works with corrugated cardboard and shellac. Her show, Linescape, opens at Tyger on 19 January.

Jo studied a Bachelor of Arts in Ceramics at RMIT, but wanting to explore a different medium she began experimenting with shellac - a natural environmentally-friendly resin made from the secretions of the female lac beetle.

“I was attracted by its durability and UV resistant properties, and my aim was to transfer and utilise the old technique of French polishing,” she says.

“The corrugated cardboard I work on is what most artists would call ‘a happy accident’, evolving from an accidental spillage in the studio many years ago.”

Working from a small studio on Taungurang Country surrounded by tall mountain ash gums, Jo has created 28 superb pieces for her show at Tyger which tell a visual narrative of the Australian landscape.

“The works at Tyger are abstract compositions that use linear patterns to portray how, as humans, we navigate through and interact with the land,” she says.

“I find this relationship ever-evolving, so I create movement with line. Some works follow on as we move from one work to the next, to view the landscape as it changes. The journey we take being uniquely individual.”

Jo is an active member of her local Kinglake artistic community, teaching drawing to both adults and children. Last year she worked with six local primary schools to put on a large group exhibition of children’s artwork with over 300 works.

In response to climate change, she works primarily with upcycled materials, sourcing cardboard and shellac flakes second-hand.

“I have discovered no two resins are the same. It is this unpredictability of shellac during the application process that excites me, I never quite know what to expect.”

What gallery visitors can expect is a visually stunning show featuring striking artworks that tell the story of the Australian landscape in a unique way. We can’t wait to share it with you.

Linescape will be officially opened by Yass sculptor Al Phemister on Saturday 20 January between 2 and 4pm. Please register to let us know you’ll be coming along.