In Profile: Madison Baird

Madison Baird presents Twilight Bush for In Profile.

Madison Baird is an Australian-born artist working on Gadigal land. Baird’s practice encompasses a range of bush landscapes, still life, and figurative works, exploring human relationships and the emotional reprieve found in nature. This series is based on spending several months painting in the Blue Mountains (Dharug and Gundungurra land), where Baird was inspired by the vibrant colours of the land as it shifted seasons. Watching the bush in a constant state of flux, Baird noticed the abundance of life emerging both day and night.

Focusing on the shifting light as winter gives way to spring, these paintings capture the moments which mark the transition of day into night. The paintings explore the nuances of twilight, where fading daylight seeps into inky, velvety tones. As the seasons change, so too does the light, drawing our attention to the quiet intimacy that the evening holds, especially within the embrace of the bush.

The garden, bathed in the fading light of dusk, offers a space of reflection—a moment of connection with the quietude of the landscape. It is in these shades that the intimacy of the natural world becomes most evident, offering a sense of solitude and calm as it quietly folds into darkness.