Abby Storey is a contemporary photographic artist based in Melbourne. Her exhibition Of the Land looks at the complex and sometimes paradoxical relationships between humanity and the natural world.
This series forms both a portrait of a man and an exploration of the life he leads. Terry, like his forebears, is a farmer, hunter, dog trainer and man of the land. His is a world of animal husbandry but also animal slaughter, with home-kill meat being a staple of the family diet.
A part of Terry’s life is spent hunting animals that are non-native to the New Zealand bush and are damaging the ecosytem, namely deer, goats, wild pigs and wild cattle. Hunting animals for meat has always been a part of his life and his skill and depth of knowledge about the process is immense.
Hunting and the killing of animals are a part of our history and our evolution. In contemporary society these activities are often viewed as brutal, savage and uncivilised, sometimes for good reason, sometimes not.
Abby Storey has previously shown Of the Land at Gippsland Art Gallery in 2013/2014. Over the last two years she has exhibited in group shows within Germany, and before this throughout Melbourne and her home country New Zealand. Her works are held in collections by the Gippsland Gallery and the Kommunale Galerie in Berlin.
Exhibition details: fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Friday 11am-5pm, Saturday 12pm-4pm
