In SKIN – Moving through Monochrome, Joshua Bonson draws viewers into an intimate encounter with his totem, the Saltwater Crocodile. Rendered in a stark monochrome palette, the work magnifies the animal’s textured surface—layered scales and markings become a powerful visual metaphor for identity, ancestry, and deep connection to Country. Working with palette knives, brushes, and his hands, Bonson creates flowing, tactile forms that evoke the movement of light across water and skin.
This piece reflects Bonson’s enduring relationship with the land and sea of the Northern Territory and the Torres Strait. The close-up inspection of the crocodile’s body becomes both personal and expansive—reading as a skin, a story, and a terrain. The absence of colour heightens the spiritual tone, allowing the eye to focus on rhythm, shadow, and the meditative presence of form.
While his practice continues to evolve, Bonson remains grounded in cultural tradition. Through gesture and repetition, he invites us to slow down and look closely—to feel the physicality of the surface and sense the legacy that lies beneath. SKIN – Moving through Monochrome is not just a portrait of a reptile, but of a lineage, a place, and a quiet strength that endures.
