NAOMI GREEN
Lifeforce

2023
acrylic on canvas
77 x 101.5 cm

This painting was inspired by the song ‘Follow the Sun” by Xavier Rudd. I am a long-time fan of Rudd, whose music first came out while I was in high school. I have always been enamored by the tranquil beauty of his music and, as a young Indigenous Australian, hearing traditional Indigenous instruments incorporated into mainstream, contemporary music for the first time was a pivotal moment that brought an immense sense of pride and a feeling of acceptance.


The song ‘Follow the Sun’ is a beautiful, serene, bared back, acoustic piece featuring recorded bird songs and a harmonica. Like the song, this artwork is a loving, spiritual ode to country. The bare, natural textures of the linen and the toned-down colours in the work reflect the natural textures and tones of the earth and a visual interpretation of the acoustic character of the song. The cascading blue tones echo waterfalls spilling down a cliff, gently nourishing all of life. While the contrasting warm yellow and red tones provide a feeling of warmth radiating from the sun or sand. The flow and movement in the painting from top to bottom and right to left, reminds us that country is overflowing with life.