Influenced by Australian Culture

Australia is an interesting place to create. In some ways, it has a culture that resembles the bohemian spirit of Paris in the early 20th century. As four out of ten Australians have at least one migrant parent, Australia has been flooded with the varied cultures of the world. Furthermore, as Australia has convict heritage, there is little indigenous fear of corrupting traditional Australian culture by embracing outsider cultures. If anything, foreign cultures are embraced as an excuse to dissociate Australia's present from its criminal heritage.

The main difference between Australia and early 20th century Paris is that Australian artists have tended to have been shielded from Australia's diversity, and are instead seeking some kind of moral order. I think the main reason for this is that, whereas the Paris art movement was funded by the wealthy, the Australian art movement has been funded by the Australian government. As a result, the Australian arts culture has been filtered through the moralistic imperatives of public servants. The product of the culture is hostile to the average Australian, and criticised by the average Australian alike. As an artist that works independent of Australia's art culture, my art is a reflection of the conflict between two groups of Australians that really don't like each other.

The Touch - Chad

The Touch

Australian Story - Chad

Port Jackson, Feb 6. Scenes of riot and debauchery after the disembarkation of the women convicts tonight transformed Sydney cove into something resembling a gin palace attached to a brothel.
All this took place at night during a violent storm with lightening bolts which, at one place, split a tree in half, killing five sheep and a pig that were penned below it.
   The licentious merriment began when some merchant seamen requested some grog from their captain. No doubt the man had good reason to comply, in the relief at getting rid of the last of his convicts, as he had faced a penalty of £40 for every convict missing.
   Soon the sailors and convicts were in and around the women's tents, some queuing for sex, others making love with women they had forged attachments on the voyage. Others were swearing, fighting or singing.
   While the scene was deplorable no action by the Governor nor his officers. Presumably they thought that intervention would have provoked a serious riot, and that it was best to wait for the morning to re-establish order.
The women, cooped up on the voyage and for another 10 hot and intolerable days outside Sydney Cove, had not too many chaste figures among them.

Without a Head