silent relics: a family album – an Artist Book

silent relics – a family album is a quiet homage to the bunya pines (Araucaria bidwillii) of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, presented as a metaphorical “family album.” Through layered printmaking and photographic references, the book captures both living trees and those lost to dieback, reflecting on their prehistoric roots and uncertain future.

This new artist book builds on my ongoing fascination with the bunya pine trees of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, explored in my earlier book, Hinterland Bunyas, Curramore, 24 August 2024. While that project focused on a specific area – Curramore – silent relics takes a broader look at the region’s scattered “family” of bunya pines, each standing quietly in its own small pocket of land.

The “family album” concept emerged from seeing these trees as a group of relatives once united in a vast Gondwana rainforest. Over time, farming and other land changes fragmented them, leaving individual trees and small clusters isolated from one another.

silent relics: a family album – the book

silent relics was created using various printmaking techniques and a simple bookmaking method.

Monotype and etching prints, blind embossing and letterpress have been combined to layer visual and textual elements into an accordion-style folded book. A laser-cut bunya tree crown is attached to the cover, with the cover held shut by a small magnet. Each turn of the page reveals a different view of the trees – some strong and alive, others mere silhouettes reminding us of loss.

Alongside these images, I have included a four-verse poem that can be read in two ways: verse by verse like a traditional poem, or horizontally across each row of all four columns. This structure mirrors the interconnected lineage of these trees, echoing their shared heritage even as they stand alone in the landscape:

I continue to find myself in awe of these ancient giants, contemplating how a single tree can survive for centuries yet remain vulnerable to threats we can’t see. Keeping the tone hopeful, I invite you to reflect on the resilience and importance of these majestic bunya pines. If one day they exist only as photographs and prints, we will have lost a precious piece of living history.

If you are interested in owning a copy, I have the limited edition available in my online shop. Each book is a testament to my ongoing love for the Bunya Pines and a gentle call for us to cherish the silent relics that still grace our hinterland.

Below is a selection of process photos, taken while working on the book:

Beyond Bunya Dieback Group Exhibition