Wonders of the Past

A painting of a man and woman in red swimwear running down a street. Behind them is an art deco pub topped by the Big Prawn.
Most Commanding of Her Wonderful Ruins - oil, graphite and acrylic on board, 56 x 76cm
A painting of a hotel with a swimming pool. A spotted beach ball hovers in the middle of the image.
The Protecting Spirit - oil, graphite and acrylic on board, 56 x 76cm
A painting of a man in shorts and long socks looking over a sea cliff. A Big Crab hovers over the water.
Cruel Queen of the Seas - oil, graphite and acrylic on board, 56 x 76cm
A painting of a man in red speedoes pointing a toy gun at the Big Lobster, which is in the middle of a city street.
Warden of the Desert Marches - oil, graphite and acrylic on board, 56 x 76cm
A painting of the Gympie Big Pineapple at a service station. A black swan stands to one side.
Where Once Was Ur - oil, graphite and acrylic on board, 56 x 76cm
A painting of a red brick art deco train station. A man stands at one end, a woman is seated on the building facing him. Both are wearing red swimwear. A spotted beach ball hangs in the air above them.
Rose-Red City of Wonder - oil, graphite and acrylic on board, 56 x 76cm
A painting of a woman in white swimwear standing next to a small version of the Big Pineapple. The background is swathes of blue, pink and green.
The Wanton City - oil, graphite and acrylic on board, 76 x 56cm (SOLD)
A painting of a woman and a group of children looking down at a dolphin. The background is swathes of blue, green and brown.
Storied Sentinel - oil, graphite and acrylic on board, 76 x 56cm
A painting of a group of people with their backs to the viewer. They look at the Big Pineapple in a green landscape that is partly obscured by swathes of blue.
The Smiling Valley - oil, graphite and acrylic on board, 76 x 56cm

The history of colonial settlement in Australia is littered with tales of “discovery” and exploration. This narrative of heroic endeavour didn’t die out in the modern era, but rather scaled down and bled into the way Australia was marketed to tourists.

As tourism increased in the postwar period, souvenir media such as postcards and brochures contained tales of great feats of entrepreneurship by those who promoted certain kinds of destinations. Proprietors boasted of building attractions or catching and training wildlife with their bare hands. In promoting their attraction-building prowess, these men overwrote existing landscapes and traditions with their own legends.

Inspired by vintage postcards, Wonders of the Past suggests a continuation of these narratives. Old-school tourist attractions such as Big Things have started to assimilate into the landscape and taken on an agency of their own.

All works are oil, graphite and acrylic on board, 56 x 76cm.

Photo Credit: silversalt photography