Constructed Miniatures

Full description

Background
A photographic series critiquing Australian colonial narratives in which multiple histories intersect and collide. Building on previous work, the series explores the contested and complex relationship between land, myth and national identity. Located within cultural studies, the series draws on debates and critiques of contemporary Australian cultural narratives, referencing publications including Settler Colonial Studies (global) and Continuum Journal.

Contribution
The work is a combination of miniature diorama building and photography. Models and settings were planned, developed and constructed and photographed. Each image reimagines, disrupts or retells iconic stories from Australian colonial history that are either forgotten, incorrect or ignored. The Battle of Broken Hill – considered the first attack by foreign nationals on Australian soil; Honeysuckle Creek – the actual site where the 1969 moon landing television signal was received and transmitted; and the river formally known as [currently the Murray River) – the most iconic river in Australia whose name has a contentious settler and indigenous history. Other images reimagine myths and narratives in referencing worker histories and natural resources. By combining historical reflection and irony, the project seeks to unpack the complex nature of cultural identity and settler histories on land and place.

Significance
Selected as one of only 47 Featured Exhibitions for the 2023 Head On International Photography Festival in Sydney, Australia. Selected from a judging panel consisting of Judith Nangala Crispin (Australian poet & artist), Sydney Morning Herald Picture Editor Louisa Kirby, artist Murray Fredricks, photographer Liz Ham, and festival director Moshe Rosenzveig OAM. My exhibition and profile within Australian photography meant I was also invited to moderate one of 3 panel discussions as part of the festival programming.