Tom Nicholson's bilingual artist's book begins with the remarkable and dominating presence of Australian eucalyptus trees in the Ma'man Allah/Mamilia cemetery in Jerusalem, Palestine's oldest and most important Islamic cemetery. These river red gums are famous in Australia for their connection to Barmah, a landmark of anti-colonial resistance. Comparative Monument is an attempt to articulate the historical links and echoes between Jerusalem and Australia. Drawing on the symbolic importance of trees in Israel and Palestine, and in Australian commemorative traditions, it is also an attempt to rethink the nature and possibilities of the monument itself, and the linkages to drawing and walking.
328 pages, 11 x 17 cm, hardcover, Surpllus (Melbourne).