tiliqua tiliqua

The dandelion or french ‘pissenlit’, is a symbol for society where we dismantle our systems of knowledge, the literal and metaphoric ‘weeding out’ of ideas and practices. In health and disease, dandelions were once useful and familiar, now we define them as a weed, a wild plant growing unwanted and in competition with other cultivated plants. Nature also reflects in dandelions a paradox, where we praise resilience but often struggle with the way in which it is presented to us. The form of a dandelion is however lightweight and delicate, in contrast with how we view resilience being solid and dense, this makes the plant an interesting subject to deconstruct and reinterpret.

Heather Groves is an Australian artist, based in Sydney (Cammeraygal country), Australia. Her current studio practice focuses on the processes of printmaking in woodcut, and metal plate etching. The limited-edition prints are a collection of studies into relatable subjects, both familiar and intimate, they are focused on the concepts of resilience and resistance. Metaphor and symbolism are often used to express these ideas and play with colour and language is an important part of the process. Heather leans into humour and her work is a search for the silly side of the subjects she finds most curious.

Heather studied BA in Visual Arts with Honours at School of Art and Design, ANU, with a major in sculpture and a minor in book design. She learnt woodcut printmaking techniques while studying at L’Ecole Nationale Supérieur des Beaux Arts in Paris, France. She completed Postgraduate studies in French language and translation from the ANU in 2020. She has exhibited in Australia, France, USA, and the UK, her work is held in private collections in Australia, Europe, and USA.

You can see more of Heather Groves’ work @flatoutprints