Summer
Sam Harrison
22 February — 8 March 2020
Opening Reception: 21 February 2020, 6 - 9pm
Wow. What a great summer. I love some time off work. Got nice and tan at the beach. Christmas was really wholesome too. And a new DECADE! How exciting. The PM seemed to have a good holiday too, good for him. Don’t think about the fires tho, that’ll get you down. We’ll just think about things around the fire, like that woman selling nudes for charity. What a champ. Or how Scomo cancelled his holiday early to force a few people to shake his hand for a good photo… How goods the sport tho :) I fucking love cricket. Is it racist for me to play cricket on Australia day? Its starting to get cold, I can’t wait for next summer.
A lot has happened this summer, and not all of it good. Lots of these things call into question our approach to the future and our relationship to the land and ourselves. It seems like an appropriate time to reflect and analyse how our current colonial mentality has lead us to this point in history and what it projects into the future. I feel that this colonial mentality represents the belief that everything can be dominated, and therefore those of us living within the colonial construct can make the conscious decision to sit back and observe this domination from a perceived position on safety. Now we are all holding our breath, looking towards next summer with a sense of dread and apprehension, as well as excitement because its well, summer.
Sam Harrison is an artist of both First (Wiradjuri) and Second (English) Nations decent. He likes to think of himself as pretty bloody Australian. His work revolved around discussion and analysis of the Australian Identity. His practice can be narrowed down into three general focuses. Firstly, utilizing historical and contemporary learning recourses to re-conceptualize how we interpret the national story. Secondly, to create conversation in the present, about the present, to identify where and what we are as a collective, yet diverse cultural entity. Lastly, to think and envision what an increasingly connected, mobile and global future has in store for us.
Exhibition documentation: Charlie Hillhouse