A series of small paintings of small local businesses that have shut down surrounding a large painting of the facade of a Costco building.

Presbyterian Ladies’ College Sydney

Foreclosure

Painting

Plywood, acrylic paint, LED lights, Perspex

In my lifetime, I have watched many businesses close down. My body of work addresses how multinational companies dominate the market, causing small businesses such as the iconic local corner store, which once existed as a part of the Australian vernacular, to go bankrupt. Streaming and online shopping services eliminate the need for video rental stores, local convenience stores and corner shops. I represented the supermarket as a superior, powerful and influential temple in contrast to the authentic, lived-in and community-loved small businesses that are fast becoming something that lives only in our cultural memory.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Edward Hopper and Kevin McKay.