First edition of Gumsucker by Rory King. First impression. Medium format hardback in new condition. Signed by the artist on the title page. About Gumsucker laments the loss of untamed Australian wilderness to civilization, ever encroaching, domesticating the land and spirit. It is a ghost story of sorts, populated by withering vestiges and isolated souls. Its title, drawn from the archaic term once used to describe native-born European Australians, also recalls ‘The Gumsucker’s Dirge,’ a 19th-century poem mourning the erasure of wilderness as the frontier was pushed further out and the dream of an untouched wilderness became increasingly inaccessible. Rory King’s images depict a landscape of abandonment, yet speak of a yearning for deep connection in the face of isolation. These are lonely photographs, but with warmth and connection at their edges. There is resistance here, some fight and resilience to the disillusionment of modernity. Through his patient gaze, King's lens captures strangers, companions and brute nature alike in a tender embrace.
