To Catch A Tiger

To Catch a Tiger explores the human compulsion to connect with something which is just out of reach. In this installation by Tasmanian artist James Newitt, the thylacine (or Tasmanian tiger) creates a point of connection between issues and opinions related to conservation, wildness, Tasmanian identity and scientific ‘truth’. The exhibition presents the artist’s interviews with several thylacine experts and enthusiasts, whose conversations and opinions are based on direct personal experience and in-depth research. Compelling and often contradictory, the views of thylacine seekers, scientists and eye-witnesses create points of ambiguity and represent the multiple notions of truth which permeate contemporary discussion about the thylacine. Alongside the interviews, a collection of images creates a visual archive of thylacine fact and fantasy. Historical material combined with the artist’s own imagery delves into the mystery of the remote Tasmanian landscape, creating a web of references for the viewer to decipher and interpret. To Catch a Tiger reflects our desire to search for something that continually eludes us, and visitors are invited to contribute their own records of seeking, glimpsing and gathering evidence in the search for something we refuse to let go of.