"New Australiana"
2001-08-23 until 2001-09-23
Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
Perth, WA, AU

When I first came to Australia in 1998 I was keen to find out more about my new home. My researches took me to the Australiana section of various bookshops, but what I found there did not equate with the life I saw around me. “Australiana” seemed to be locked into a mid-20th century mythology that reflected little of the changes the country had undergone in recent decades.

So I set out to find some more contemporary images of Australian popular culture and this exhibition is the result. The range is eclectic, reflecting the method of accumulation and the diversity of background of the various artists, who hail from both the metropolitan and regional localities across the country. And while I would never claim this to be a comprehensive catalogue of Australia today, it’s very diversity and the good humour that lies behind much of the work does accord with my own sense of the country I now call home.

IMAGE: Graham Miller
Bumble bee man on pogo stick
Fremantle, 1999

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for Australia

Other Important Exhibitions in Australia