Abstract
It is possible to experience an ethereal, dream-like state without nodding off; just take a deep breath and savour the sensual, shimmering sight that is this issue’s cover art.
Muted hues of blue and multiple shades of pink embrace the viewer, with exotic contortions of fabulous plant-like shapes, drawing us into a netherworld where the possible and impossible collide.
Artwork by photographic artist, Kate Ballis, whose solo exhibition, Beyond Time, was held recently at Gallerysmith, is featured on the cover of this issue of the Journal. Ballis started life as a lawyer before finding her true calling – looking at life through her camera lens and producing extraordinary images that distort reality in a magical, mythical way.
Ballis explains her images as inviting us ‘into liminal realms, to pause and quietly witness the beauty and the endless stretch of time.’
Part of a series where photographic artworks sit alongside AI-generated images, Ballis’ works ‘parallel the primordial Earth in its first stirrings of life. In this vision, AI takes on the role of an early organism, hinting at its potential to evolve far beyond recognition, an echo of the vast evolutionary timeline from dinosaurs to human existence.’
This dreamscape is described by Ballis as exploring ‘not only the origins of life on Earth but also the beginnings of a new, unseen intelligence, blurring the boundaries between ancient history and an optimistic future.’
Ballis’ work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Miami, curated photo festivals worldwide and at art fairs across Europe. She has featured in Aesthetica, AnOther, Wallpaper, Vogue Living, VICE and Forbes among others. Ballis is represented in the Parliament House Collection in Canberra and Artbank as well as important private collections.
Kate Ballis
Dreamer (2024)
archival inkjet print on canvas
140 x 240 cm
Cover image courtesy of the artist and Gallerysmith https://gallerysmith.com.au/
© Kate Ballis