Nadine Bastow | A Moore River Mouthful – River to Desert

Gabbadah is an Aboriginal term meaning ‘mouthful of water’ and was originally the name of the town of Guiderton or ‘Moore River’ as it is known to many. I am passionate about this water and land and know it intimately as my family have owned a house here for the past 52 years and my holidays have always been here. I am drawn to the river and its curvaceous form and its energy, building and releasing its contents regularly at the mouth. It is embedded in my visual and physical memory and is reflected in my figurative sculptures. Deserts are a theme in my work also, from the ‘desert’ dunes of the Moore River to recent adventures on Arrente country, painting at Tower Rock and the Finke River, near Alice Springs. My painting style has evolved from these extraordinary Central Australian camping/painting experiences.