Beneath the Radiant Southern Cross
Beneath the Radiant Southern Cross is a collection of paintings that reflect upon the intersection and toxicity of colonialism and nationalism in contemporary Australia. The artworks, rendered in a selective palette with a thick and gritty surface, directly reference land, mining industries and toxic chemicals while playfully subverting national propaganda such as the anthem, the Southern Cross and the Union Jack.
The paintings attempt to poetically reference both landscape and the leaching of toxins into the environment. Fragments of an ornate frame have been placed in a number of the paintings, drawing upon the continued presence of colonial legacies in contemporary Australia. The use of hi-vis colours references the fossil fuel industry and their complicity in environmental degradation and exploitation. Some of the paintings include fictitious Government Departments, highlighting the role that government play in colonial perpetuation.
The sculptural works from the series ‘The colonial frame’, interrogate the celebration of James Stirling’s legacy. Stirling, the founding Governor of Western Australia was the man initially responsible for the invasion and subsequent occupation of Nyoongar country. The artwork, ‘The colonial frame (skewing the James Stirling portrait frame)’ sits skewed, partly against the wall and partly the floor. The artwork leaves behind the rigid structure one would expect from a frame, opening up the colonial frame to critique and questioning its status as a symbol of power. The artwork encourages viewers to question the way monuments to colonial history are displayed and privileged in contemporary Australia.
