Paul Atkinson, Aftermath: Cudlee Creek Bushfire (Landscape 2020)

The bushfires that swept across Australia in the summer of 2019-20 left a mark on the landscape that will take decades to erase. Although not as affected as other parts of the country, vast areas around Cudlee Creek east of Adelaide were left scorched and blackened. Hundreds of animals perished and the lives of everyone in the area have been severely disrupted. Driving through this area just after the fires had abated was startling. In some areas, the line between devastation and salvation was so distinct with one row of vines scorched brown and the next still green and lush. Yet in other areas, the fires seemed to be totally haphazard… individual trees totally destroyed within a grove of healthy living ones. The effect was a vista reminiscent of a Jackson Pollock painting: bold dark lines against a chaotic backdrop. These photos are both a realistic representation of the immediate impact of the fires as well as a metaphor for the deep scars left on the landscape and within the psyche of the people affected.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.