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An image of Tsunami by Pam Hallandal

Pam Hallandal

(Australia 16 Jan 1929– )

Title
Tsunami
Place of origin
Melbourne → Victoria → Australia
Year
2007-2009
Media category
Drawing
Materials used
ink, charcoal, pastel on paper
Dimensions

140.0cm (diameter, tondo); 195.0 x 155.0cm frame

Signature & date
Signed and dated l.r., pen and black ink "Pam Hallandal/ 2009". Signed and dated bot c., pen and black ink "HALLANDAL/ 07-09".
Credit
Gift of the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation 2009
Accession number
481.2009
Copyright
© Pam Hallandal
Location
Not on display
Further information

The subject of Pam Hallandal’s drawing is the human drama of the catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami of Boxing Day 2004. One of the deadliest natural disasters to be recorded, it resulted in the deaths of over 230,000 people principally in Indonesia, with many also in Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. At the time of the event Hallandal had been drawing in the bush and emerged unknowing to news of the catastrophe, which affected her deeply.

'This Tsunami series started with the devastating events of 2004 and I’ve been working on it ever since … In the intervening years there have been all sorts of catastrophes – floods and hurricanes – and man with all his technology buffeted by the powers of nature … It’s an attempt to find a way of talking about the power of nature.' (‘Tsunami takes top prize’, The Border Mail, 7 November 2009, p 20).

Hallandal often works in series. 'Tsunami' is one of some 16 works that she completed on the subject, one of which was a finalist in the 2008 Dobell Prize exhibition. In 'Tsunami' and the other drawings of this series, Hallandal has explored one of the great classic subjects, the deluge or flood, which has been addressed by artists from the earliest times. Her dark swirling mass of figures, boats, buildings and debris caught up in the destructive wave evokes the cataclysm of biblical deluge or flood seen in the works of Raphael, Michelangelo, Poussin, Turner and others inspired by the drama of forces beyond human imagining.

Bibliography (28)

Hendrik Kolenberg (Netherlands; Australia) (Author), Anne Ryan (Australia) (Author), Helen Campbell (Australia) (Author), Contemporary Australian Drawing: 20 years of the Dobell Prize for Drawing, Sydney, 2012, 8, 52, 53 (colour illus.), 61.

Janet McKenzie (Australia) (Author), Contemporary Australian drawing #1, South Yarra, 2012, 18, 91 (colour illus.).

'A fine harvest of drawings: legacy of an exceptional draughtsman' by Hendrik Kolenberg, pg. 28-31., Look Nov 2011, Nov 2011, 28 (illus.), 29-30.

'Pam Hallandal: drawing from life' by Jill Sykes, pg. 26-29., Look Oct 2010, Oct 2010, cover (colour illus.).

'Last chance' by Christopher Allen, pg. 14., The Australian 21 Jan 2010, 21 Jan 2010, 14.

'Exhibitions: Dobell Prize for Drawing' by Christopher Allen, pg. 11., The Australian 07 Jan 2010, 07 Jan 2010, 11.

'Exhibitions: Dobell Prize for Drawing', pg. 18., The Australian 02 Jan 2010, 02 Jan 2010, 18.

'Exhibitions: Dobell Prize for Drawing', pg. 17., The Australian 01 Jan 2010, 01 Jan 2010, 17.

'Art Gallery of NSW', pg. 23., The Sydney Morning Herald 31 Dec 2009, 31 Dec 2009, 23.

'Exhibitions' by Christopher Allen, pg. 12., The Australian 24 Dec 2009, 24 Dec 2009, 12.

'Sketched to the limit' by Tracey Clement, pg. 12., The Sydney Morning Herald 23 Dec 2009, 23 Dec 2009, 12 (illus.).

'Exhibitions' by Christopher Allen, pg. 14., The Australian 16 Dec 2009, 16 Dec 2009, 14.

'Dobell Prize for Drawing' by Christopher Allen, pg. 16., The Australian 19 Nov 2009, 19 Nov 2009, 16.

'Tumult captured on paper' by Christopher Allen, pg. 16., The Australian 13 Nov 2009, 13 Nov 2009, cover (colour illus.), 16 (colour illus.). NOTE: artist is standing beside the work on page 16.

'Tsunami takes Dobell prize', pg. 8., Sydney central courier 11 Nov 2009, 11 Nov 2009, 8 (illus.). NOTE: artist is standing infront of the work.

'The Dobell Prize for Drawing', pg. 16., The Australian 09 Nov 2009, 09 Nov 2009, 16.

'Australian Artist Pam Hallandal Wins Dobell Prize for Drawing 2009'., artdaily.org 09 Nov 2009, 09 Nov 2009, (colour illus.). viewed 09.10.2009, <http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=34200&int_modo=1>

'Art illustrates death for Dobell winner' by Adam Fulton, pg. 10., The Sydney Morning Herald 07 Nov 2009-08 Nov 2009, 07 Nov 2009-08 Nov 2009, 10 (colour illus.). NOTE: artist is located infront of the work.

'Luck of the draw as 80-year-old strikes it rich' by Michaela Boland, pg. 3., The Weekend Australian Review 07 Nov 2009-08 Nov 2009, 07 Nov 2009-08 Nov 2009, 3 (colour illus.). NOTE: artist is located infront of the work.

'Tsunami inspires Dobell winner', pg. 17., Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser 07 Nov 2009, 07 Nov 2009, 17 (illus.). NOTE: artist is seated infront of the work.

'Tsunami draws artist', pg. 15., Daily telegraph 07 Nov 2009, 07 Nov 2009, 15 (illus.). NOTE: artist is located infront of the work.

'Power of nature picks up Dobell', pg. 9., The Newcastle herald 07 Nov 2009, 07 Nov 2009, 9 (illus.). NOTE: artist is located infront of the work.

'Tsunami takes top prize', pg. 20., The Border mail. 07 Nov 2009, 07 Nov 2009, 20 (illus.). NOTE: artist is located infront of the work.

'Artist, 80, wins prize', pg. 16., Illawarra mercury 07 Nov 2009, 07 Nov 2009, 16.

'Hallandal wins Dobell' by Katrina Strickland, pg. 8., The Weekend Australian Financial Review 07 Nov 2009-08 Nov 2009, 07 Nov 2009-08 Nov 2009, 8.

'Tsunami artwork wins $25K prize for drawing'., CBC News 06 Nov 2009, 06 Nov 2009, (colour illus.). viewed 06.09.2010, <http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/artdesign/story/2009/11/06/hallandal-dobell-prize-win.html>

'80yo wins second Dobell Prize' by Antonette Collins., www.abc.net.au 06 Nov 2009, 06 Nov 2009, (colour illus.). viewed 06.09.2009, <http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/06/2735207.htm?site=sydney>

'Dobell Prize for Drawing 2009', pg. 35., Imprint Summer 2009, Summer 2009, 35 (illus.).

Exhibition history (3)

Dobell Prize for Drawing 2009, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 06 Nov 2009–31 Jan 2010.

Pam Hallandal: Disaster Series, Australian Galleries, Melbourne, 02 Jun 2011–26 Jun 2011.

Contemporary Australian Drawing: 20 Years of the Dobell Drawing Prize, Grafton Regional Gallery, 15 Feb 2013–24 Mar 2013.