Richard Harding

Boondoggle—phase one 2023
screenprint; edition 1/3
printed by Troppo Print Studio, Melbourne/Naarm
Courtesy of the artist

Artist statement:

Boondoggle—phase one is a response to the AUKUS military pact announced on Australian news via TV broadcast, Internet and print. This screenprinted image is constructed using elements of a 16th century Dutch engraving, The storm on the sea of Galilee by Adriaen Collaert with a generic internet photograph of a Virginia class nuclear submarine. Referencing printmaking history and contemporary working methods, this collaged image began its circulation as an A2 paste-up in Perth and Melbourne as a cautionary comment on the AUKUS defence pact. This print has moved from the ephemera of the street to a refined gallery space in an attempt to maintain public focus on the machinations of defence alliances and economic policy. This archival version employs glitter for attention and a pinned presentation style as a subversive act.