The Australian art world is mourning the loss of another leading female contemporary photographer following the death of Rosemary Laing after a short illness. Laing first captured public attention in 2000 with her breakthrough conceptual series, flight research, in which she photographed a bride suspended mid-air over a mountainous landscape. The photographs were achieved via complex arrangements with a professional stuntwoman on location in the Blue Mountains.
From Rosemary Laing’s series bulletproofglass. Credit: Rosemary Laing Laing’s death comes in the same week as that of Destiny Deacon , the pioneering First Nations artist and activist who is credited with pioneering the use of the word “Blak” in Australia. The Art Gallery of South Australia led tributes to Laing whose work had been presented at the Venice Bienniale (2007) and its Sydney counterpart (2008).
“Rosemary has made a profound contribution to time-based art and is one of Australia’s most esteemed artists,” the gallery said in a statement. “Researching through the crucial issues facing our times such as the politics of place, the natural environment, human rights, and personal psychological inquiry, her photographs explore the cultural consciousness.” Melbourne’s Tolarno Galleries, which represented Laing for 18 years, said she was one of Australia’s most revered artists.
“Her images are embedded in our psyche. We will forever remember her ‘iconic’ brides soaring through the sky and .
