In western art practice one point perspective has exercised such a powerful influence that it is easily forgotten that this is really just a mathematical construct, a convention, even an illusion. The great Renaissance artists like Brunelleschi and Alberti set about devising sets of rules for the proportional diminution of painted objects in order to create an impression of spatial depth and distance. With the development of landscape these rules were so entrenched that natural forms were seen in terms of a perspective that determined space and depth in relationship to the horizon line and a vanishing point placed upon it.

An appearance of depth and distance became such an important element in 'realistic' representations of pictorial space, that although it originated as an artifice it still presents problems for artists today. It is well recognized that a painting is usually a rectangular object with vertical and horizontal directional forces operating within a frame and in relationship to a two dimensional picture plane. This usually involves conventional perspective despite the fact that an actual landscape is rarely viewed while closing one eye and holding one's head still at a single point in space!

In order to view the landscape from a different perspective, and without the restrictions of standing still and looking only in one direction, Jo Muir hired a plane and flew over the southern coastline of Western Australia. She records that from this height she was able to observe the "elements of atmosphere, water and rocks" in ever-changing "patterns of shapes and colours". By doing this she was able to capture an overall impression of these shapes and colours as they are "affected by the movement of the water from tides, waves, wind" and even from the human interventions of canals and cuts.

Muir describes the process involved in her paintings as the layering of paint so as to create colours and textures which express the organic nature of the natural elements. This particular approach results in her ability to see many aspects, features and relationships within the landscape that most viewers would not see. The first aspect that is noticed by viewers is the immensity of the landscape. There are few horizon lines against which to measure depth and space, but these elements are still suggested, mainly by means of proportions and relationships within the picture. Surf, sea and sand are observed coming together not in reference to a horizon line but from above, and with equal force and emphasis as they spread across the picture plane.

Up There Down There is a celebration of Nature in the Romantic tradition. There is no attempt to invoke the spirituality of the landscape as in the great works of Turner or Friedrich, but there is a definite impression of power and majesty and of unidentifiable and uncontrollable forces at work. Rocky Ledge, for example, is a view from far above of surf breaking on a rocky coastline. Diagonal lines always suggest movement. In this work the diagonal crosses right from corner to corner of the composition. It is the delineated space in which surf, wind and rocks meet not just in movement but with explosive power. The fact that the viewer, through the artist, is placed too far above this phenomenon to actually hear or feel the wind or the spray makes the scene even more impressive. What makes this work so effective is not just the simple but powerful compositional device of the diagonal, but also the use of colour. The white surf contrasts dramatically with the blue of the ocean and the browns of the rocks, but within these features the colours are repeated so that there is an overall harmony which speaks of the unified forces of nature.

Other works show nature in a gentler mood. Salt Pan, for example, shows a restful, circular pool of water surrounded by sand, rocks and quietly splashing waters. Again, the colours within the pool are repeated in the wider setting, so that the overall effect is one of harmony. These nuances and continuities of colour are what distinguish Muir’s work as a whole. Generally, the clarity of the colours, along with the subtleties and wide range of tonal values, suggests the purity of the ocean. Only occasionally are the colours not as harmonious as they might be, or the composition not as completely resolved as it might be. Occasionally, the parts of a composition do not come together as convincingly as they should because the colours are not repeated or the shapes are not completely comfortable with one another.

On the whole, however, Up There Down There is a delightful and an acutely observed rendition of the landscape from an unusual perspective. The details are there, but because they are observed from a great height, so is the grandeur and immensity of a world of sea, earth and sky – a world which is frequently unseen by the vast majority of air travelers as they pass over it.