The Thousands

Sometimes it seems like Australia is in the midst of an identity crisis. In our rush to remain contemporary and cosmopolitan, we often ape overseas phenomena rather than finding ways to celebrate and incorporate what’s intrinsically awesome about home.

Jon Campbell delights in the Australian vernacular, from his muted, sun-drenched tones, to the language in his text-based works (“Pure Bewdy”, “Dunno”, “Early Morning Doof Doof”) and the icons he incorporates (an Aussie flag clipping, a Fairy Penguin tea towel).

Pure Bewdy isn’t a flag waving Australia Day pride parade by any means – nothing that boastful or blatant about it. What it does is meld the visual language of Australiana and assorted suburban detritus with a handmade aesthetic intimacy, tethered to shared cultural references (“A Dingo Took My Baby”, and Campbell’s ongoing painted replicas of band set lists).

Through works such as this and his much publicised ‘Yeah’ flag Jon Campbell creates images reflecting Australian cultural identity in ways that are self-aware and cheeky, yet nonetheless heartfelt, honest, and entirely our own.