This piece was part of Dirty Diesel & Dusty Deeds Exhibition held in May Space Gallery, Sydney

“The exploration of Broken Hill and Mildura follows on from previous work that came out of the deserts of North America. I was interested in the emptiness of these vast landscapes and the objects found within them, particularly those that speak of obsolescence and the passing of time. It was a natural progression to follow this journey closer to home. My partner is from Broken Hill so I was able to explore the town with local knowledge. I was inspired by films from my youth such as Mad Max and Wake in Fright, and how this landscape has been used similarly to the North American deserts as a representation of a post-apocalyptic world.

I was interested in the mined landscape in relation to previously explored locations such as the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley which are formed through very slow erosion. The large voids left in the ground from the open-cut mines are like scars in the earth becoming artificial canyons, and are a reminder of how we take from the earth.

Three hours down an undivided highway from Broken Hill is Mildura, where I did a residency at the Art Vault. It’s a barren road that is littered with road kill; I was intrigued by the animal carcasses and how they related to my images of stripped out car bodies and mechanical detritus.”

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