Heather Raadgever - Artist Bio

Heather is an Australian photographic artist inspired by the subtleties of life. She grew up in the country and after living in Sydney for fourteen years currently spends her time in between Sydney and Mollymook. Heather was a finalist in the Perth Centre for Photography IRIS Award in 2016 and the SunStudios Assistants and Emerging Photographer Award in 2015 and 2016.

Click for Heather's prints

HOME SWEET HOME

Selected images from an evolving project rooted in the idea of home both as a physical construct and a psychological state of mind. ’Home Sweet Home’ is a study of comfort and isolation. A visual love letter of sorts to my version of home, recognising that love can be desolate as it can be hopeful.

WRITE ME A LETTER

Selected images from the series ‘Write Me A Letter’.

I have always struggled with becoming close with others. I do not know where the disconnectedness stems from, whether it is an innate part of my brain chemistry or a learned behaviour. Through the visual of waiting for a letter I would like to explore this idea of being alone, not just physically, but psychologically. In this world of instant communication, where technology has overtaken letter writing, I feel that we are losing a vital form of meaningful communication, self-expression and connectedness. The underlying inspiration for this series of also somewhat nostalgia driven, with thoughts of my past and what has been lost. Struggling to be patient, whilst waiting to feel connected.

THE FRAGILITY OF THE MIND

Selected images from the series ‘The Fragility of the Mind’.

According to my phone “the fragility of the mind” is a note I made at 1:36pm on a Tuesday. I would have just finished my lunch. The prelude to this was an undefined period of time spent in a state of volatile restlessness. Moments of clarity interspersed with great crashing waves of despair. Most of the time, just trying to keep going, all the while becoming acutely aware of my own fragility. Throughout that period I came to recognise that this fragility of mind I was experiencing had been with me all along.

This work is about the moments when all I could do was be very still and wait for time to pass.