2012
SUBURBIA
Artists: Dean Bowen, Lance Lessels, Mathew Quick, Michelle Hamer, Gary Smith, Larissa McFarlane, Mia Shoen, Jennifer Kamp
Wyndham municipality is reputedly the fastest growing suburb in Australia. Once known as both the food bowl and the destination of Melbourne’s sewage, Wyndham is now becoming the affordable new west. Suburbia is an artistic exploration of the phenomena of rapid urban growth. Both local artists and regional artists present their interpretation of this theme. Art is often a way that people can see themselves, reflected through the eyes of others. The pace of change is both welcomed and resisted depending on your perspective. For people who have lived here for generations, it is difficult to see the once small country town, with its slow pace and plenty of parking, burst at the seams. For others who have recently discovered this hidden gem only twenty minutes from the Westgate Bridge, it is exciting to see the introduction of goods and services that used to be only available from Melbourne City. Whether we like it or not, Wyndham is becoming gentrified – the consequences of this will be examined through the eyes of artists.