There were a few old Holden utes in various stages of disrepair lying around on the grazing property, and Graham discussed the concept of painting them as murals and mounting them in a paddock near the road for passers-by to admire.
Artist Michael Jones was one of the first people to see the merit and the potential of this amazing project, which rapidly grew into a major undertaking involving more than ten notable Outback artists.
Local people from several places including Ootha, Condobolin, Parkes and Forbes became inspired by the project. Some donated ancient Holden utes for the artists to paint. Others contributed materials and labour; as well as the engineering expertise which saw the first ten metal works of art suspended in the Outback sky in time for a celebration of the 50th anniversary commemoration.
The iconic Holden ute which helped to write the history of rural Australia was the inevitable star of this project … but other Aussie emblems got some unexpected exposure, too. Bundaberg Rum was a theme for one of the impressive murals, while the Akubra and Drizabone brands were prominent on another.
The works were completed over the course of several months and they displayed brilliant creativity and innovation through each artist’s interpretation of the brief. The clever idea of mounting the old utes on poles added another creative dimension which the artists used to great advantage.
This story is from the No 169 edition of Artists Palette.
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This story is from the No 169 edition of Artists Palette.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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Artists' Easels
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