Australia in Colour is a portrait of my experiences and influences.
I’ve painted people of significance who have had an influence on me, whether directly or indirectly, whether for good or for bad.
It’s also a portrait of the way I see Australia. People who have shaped this country for better or worse, in small or large ways. Some of the figures I’ve painted are of course not Australian, but their mark on this country’s history is deeply felt. Others are more personal, and have been drawn into my world through their impact and influence on me, like the Black American painter Henry Taylor, and the rock n roll renegades Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix.
Amongst the people I’ve painted in this series are role-models, heroes, originators, custodians, leaders - there’s serious wealth, power, and status here too. With the arrangement of the portraits and the use of first names and nicknames I’m trying to say that in my eyes, everyone is equal, it doesn’t matter whether you’re the queen of England or an old Gurindji man fighting for his land. Whether you’re a mining magnate, sportsperson, politician, musician, whatever – we are all equal here.
Part of making things equal in this country then, is a greater acknowledgement and recognition of Aboriginal excellence past and present – our heroes, leaders, visionaries and trail-blazers.
