SAMMY HAWKER

Reciprocity is a practice of exchange - to give and receive in a balanced way.

I have been working with processes of reciprocity since my honours year at Sydney College of the Arts in 2015, with Bianca Hester as my supervisor. Since then I have been fortunate to be involved in a number of wonderful programs, committees, yarning circles and residencies which encourage reciprocal partnerships, examine cultural competency and highlight the importance of reflexivity and positionality. These include Catchment Studios, Bundian Way Arts Exchange, Plumwood Mountain, The Corridor Project and The Fenner Circle.

This continent is made up of hundreds of unceded sovereign lands. As a nation we still struggle with truth-telling and the residue of colonialism exists everywhere. I think for any non-indigenous person living in ‘Australia’ reflexivity is crucial - it is important to be aware of our positioning, to continually address our blind spots, and find ways in which we can listen and be led by the voices of those who have been suppressed by a colonial, capitalist system. 

In many ways my approach to practice is a response to the extractive legacy of the Western approach to landscape photography. In my work I am interested in how I might create conditions which facilitate the expression or voice of the place, material or being I am working with. The process in which the work unfolds is unpredictable and not one in which I can anticipate or control. The final outcome feels like a dialogue between me and these co-creators. 

There is a feeling tone when the balance is right - it’s hard to explain but it often feels a little like the material I am working with wants to make the work with me and is often associated with a sense of alignment or serendipity and a visceral sensation like a shiver down the spine. The process takes time - repeat visits, ongoing conversations, building meaningful connections with place. 

An essential component of my process is to build relationships or have conversations with Traditional Custodians and other humans (scientists, ecologists, researchers etc.) who actively care for the sites I am working. I do my best to work respectfully - treading lightly,  donating profits from artwork sales back to Country, working in alignment with ICIP protocols and NAVA cultural advisor rates, remaining open to how I can continually fine-tune a respectful approach to a place-based practice. I’ve been told numerous times from various custodians to always ‘ask Country’ when working on or with it. To ask and to listen are essential components of a reciprocal relationship.