08/02/2026
Often when we travel to a specific destination, we have an already formed idea or expectation about the place. This was not the case with my visit to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre.
Sure, I did know that it was full of saline floodwater and in the middle of the desert, but I didn't have an image in my head of how it would look, and so, the two hours I spent flying over this vast inland sea felt unreal and otherworldly. I didn't expect to float in a plane through a vast dreamlike, pastel coloured melody of hues with the occasional arpeggio of green appearing out of nowhere.
And what a difference protection makes! No cars, no boats, no swimmers, only the occasional rough track is visible from above. The different bodies of water of the various creeks flow into the lake system keeping their current and their colour, their character. The brightness of the salt is almost painful to look at. The layers of salt make the lake appear frozen in time.
In this series of paintings, I focused on the landscape only, with no intent other than letting you be a part of my experience.
Dore Stockhausen 2026
