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Painting - 'Black Saturday 2009' by Glenn Morgan
Reg. No: HT 23801
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- Summary:
- The 'Black Saturday' painting by Glenn Morgan was created after the devastation of Marysville on Black Saturday, 7 February 2009. He had visited Marysville just three weeks prior to 7 February 2009, and had remarked "Jeez, I'd hate to be here if a fire came through".
This is a powerful response to the Black Saturday bushfires. It is a strong and dynamic document of the immediate aftermath of the bushfires. The artwork also draws on his own experience of loss from the Ash Wednesday fires, and the memory of his feelings of 'survival, guilt and why was it us'.
While the work is based on Marysville, Morgan's portrayal of Black Saturday stretches across place and time, and presents the realities of bushfire that have and will continue to shape Victoria's collective memory. This narrative documents a slice of time; it actively depicts the intensity of emotions and the chaos and tragedy of the immediate aftermath of the Black Saturday fires. The artwork is overflowing with stories and the torn fragments of people's lives. It is also a graphic map of the landscape that became the crucible for these catastrophic fires.
The artwork is immensely personal, not just because of its links to Morgan's own experience of trauma and loss, but because each person represented in the work is offering a story of their own lives and trauma. Some of the dialogue depicted includes: "They're all gone", "At least I've got you", "Where's mum?!"
Glenn Morgan wanted the work to 'just tell the story of that time'. Glenn Morgan is a Victorian artist, based in Warrnambool. He has been practicing since 1975 and has been represented in many solo and group exhibitions; his work is represented in regional and national collections. Morgan works with issues and subjects that touch the everyday life of Australians. He uses humour and miniature personal vignettes to 'weave a patchwork of stories'. He is well known for his sculptural installations and models, and also works in oils, acrylic and prints. - Description:
- Acrylic on plywood, framed.
| Discipline: | History |
| Dimensions: | 1350 mm (Height), 2525 mm (Width) |
More information
| Tagged with: | bushfires, natural disasters, ash wednesday bushfires 1983, black saturday bushfires 2009, art, cool |
| Themes this item is part of: | Victorian Bushfires Collection, Recurring History of Bushfires in Victoria, Sustainable Futures Collection |
| Primary Classification: | SUSTAINABILITY |
| Secondary Classification: | Natural Disasters |
| Tertiary Classification: | bushfires |
| Artist: | Mr Glenn Morgan, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia, 2009 |
| Place & Date Depicted: | Marysville, Victoria, Australia, 07 Feb 2009 |
Themes
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