Put a....
LIGHTHOUSE
‘Put a….’ 2012/13
Medium: acrylic / canvas, timber, paint brushes, steel, neon light.
Dimensions: 800MM height X 900MM width overall.
In no particular order:
The subject matter for this show immediately put me in mind of that iconic Australian ballad: ‘Put a light in every country window’ Don Harrison, 1961.This song celebrates the Snowy River scheme and its anticipated ability to light up this great land.
The hexagon painting references the cut glass facets as found in the Eclipse glass at the Albany Museum. It was also a good excuse to make a white painting in the manner of Robert Hunter – a Sydney artist whose work I admire.
The assemblage with brushes [think Robert MacPherson] is a reminder of the repetitive tasks the keepers would be obliged to carry out - yearly painting of all steel parts as well as the buildings. Brushes were also used to keep the light glass clean and free of spiders and other bugs.
The electric fence sign and neon trouble light are self-explanatory.