Liberty, Wham Glam

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Background The work contributes to ongoing investigations into ways of representing place/landscape in Australia; in particular, attempts by artists/photographers to negotiate the complexity of colonial history and guilt through representations of place, as highlighted by Helen Ennis in ‘Photography and Australia’ (2007) and Rod Giblett in ‘Photography and Landscape’ (2014). My research asks: Given our colonial history and settlement habits, why does popular culture continue to export common tropes about the Australian wilderness/landscape? And how can these tropes be re-interpreted to more accurately reflect contemporary Australian narratives of place through photographic practices? Contribution ‘Liberty, Wham Glam’ critiques the irony of settler culture and Australian national identity through the use of iconic external elements (Statue of Liberty), presented within an urban Australian landscape. A common visual trigger in my work is the inclusion of signs/icons that reference current political/social debates, in this case the Wham Glam sign referencing the night club and 1980s band Wham. The political reference links to the words Wham Glam, representing gay culture, and the Australian 2017 marriage equality plebiscite that ended in a yes vote to recognise same-sex marriage. Significance The work was presented at the Eyes on Main Street contemporary photography festival, Wilson, North Carolina, which presents the work of international photographers on large billboards, shopfront windows and in gallery spaces. Each year 50 men and 50 women are invited to participate, and curators select works from other festivals, publications or portfolios. The 2019 festival included notable photographers Bruce Gilden, William Klein and Bieke Depoorter and was funded by private donors, North Carolina Arts Council and Wilson Authority Tourism Board. Approximately 5200 visitors attended. I was one of 5 artists to present a public lecture on my work. I have been invited back for 2020.