Description

Thanks for looking!

This work is watercolour and ink on paper.

The central chimera is a combination of introduced invasive pest animals - black rat, cane toad, and feral pig.
These species arrived with European colonists, sometimes brought and released deliberately, and are recognised as being disasterous for native ecology and economy.

Combined here they are an ugly monster, designed to act as a warning like a huge spectre, conjured up in a puff of steam by the beast which jealously guards the coastline.
But, the effect is more absurd than truly frightening .

The painting's medium, technique and general style was informed by early-mid 20th century political cartoons and propaganda, and book-plate illustrations from the State Library of Victoria's collection of antique natural history books.

It's a satire of what I see as hypocritical and hyper-critical attitudes in Australia that degrade and demonise immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers who would try and make the desperate journey here by sea.
This is the largest work on paper I've made.