Coastline

Abstract

Coastline reveals profoundly different perceptions of the liminal space where land meets sea. Over centuries, artists have represented its changing appearance and meaning – sometimes as part of a journey, sometimes as a site of contact or work, sometimes just for contemplation. In Australia, the only nation that is an island continent, the coastline plays a highly symbolic cultural role defining identity, while demarcating the border as an exclusion zone. Today, with global warming causing rising sea levels and eroding shorelines, the coast has become a highly-charged space demarcating potential zones of conflict and loss. This collection-based exhibition offers an art historical overview of the role of maritime representations across more than three centuries.