retro 2 my family

On the decade anniversary of my mother’s death, I decided to return to academia, to complete a studio based thesis on the migration of my family to Australia after World War 2 had ended. My mother had gone to work in Germany and was declared a displaced person when the fighting ceased. I used her ID photo taken by the International Refugee Organisation in my art work. My father was doubly orphaned in his preteens, he decided to enlist in the Dutch army and was shipped to Batavia to fight the insurrection. He was awarded the service medal, the star for order and peace, the ereteken voor orde en vrede.

The above works complete my family narrative with my parents’ transit from Bathurst through Cowra [where I was born] to Scheyville Migrant camp. We were then released, our status changed to that of citizens, dad found local employment, we lived in a stone house outside Pitt Town, on the bank of the Hawkesbury River. My immediate visual improvement was to acquire a sailor suit [in honour of the PopEye cartoon?]; this features in my two button works that follow.

Mum, 30 cms H X W, 2008.

Mum, Cowra, 80 cms H X 50 cms W, 2000.

Baby Photo, 30 cms H X W, 2008.

Scheyville, 60 cms H X 40 cms W, 2000.

Scheyville 2, 80 cms H X 60 cms W, 2007.

Dad, 75 cms H X 30 cms W, 2007.