Patricia Semmler, Automatic Drawings, 2010-14

Patricia Semmler’s Automatic Drawings reference personal themes that are expressively channeled through her subconscious. Common symbols that emerge in her drawings include the local wildlife that exists around her place of residence in south-eastern Australia, as well as religious motifs that reflect her Catholic upbringing. Her process builds upon automatism in that both artwork and setting are considered together, allowing the viewer to recognize visual similarities between images from an individual’s unconscious and motifs that appear in the church. The installation introduces a new way to approach looking at automatic drawing.