Industrial Relations

This painting presents a whimsical and thought-provoking scene: an emu constructed entirely from rusted and discarded metal objects, standing beside a group of real emus. The contrast is both humorous and symbolic—a playful commentary on the industrial relationships and constructs we encounter in the modern world. But beyond the humour lies a deeper message.

The work explores the idea that our environment—or the landscape we move through—is shaped by the beliefs we hold about ourselves. The emu made from found and weathered objects represents the internal narrative we build over time—pieces of identity collected from experiences, opinions, memories, and the perceptions of others. These fragments are gathered and assembled, consciously or not, into the version of ourselves we come to believe in.

In contrast, the presence of the real emus symbolizes how these inner constructs give form to the outer world we experience. It’s a reflection on how the stories we carry within ultimately shape the reality we live in. Through this imaginative composition, the painting invites the viewer to consider the blurred boundaries between internal belief and external environment—and how both are deeply intertwined.