What man
1997
from the What people series 1997
- Medium
- chenille, wire, pins
- Measurements
- (a-m) 138.5 × 130.4 cm irreg. (installation)
- Place/s of Execution
- Melbourne, Victoria
- Inscription
- inscribed in black fibre-tipped pen on accompanying paper label u.l.: KATE BEYNON / 'What Man ' 1997 / chenille sticks.
- Accession Number
- 1997.416.a-m
- Department
- Contemporary Art
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1997
© Kate Beynon - Gallery location
- Not on display
- About this work
-
Kate Beynon is an Australian, born in Hong Kong, with Welsh, English, Malaysian and Norwegian ancestry. She is interested in experiences of transcultural identity and draws inspiration from many sources, including comics, graffiti and Chinese calligraphy. At the time Beynon made this work, when John Howard was elected Prime Minister, multiculturalism was a pressing public issue in Australia, as the nation witnessed a dramatic increase in immigration. This work, picturing a man emblazoned with and surrounded by symbols of cultural heritage, addresses questions of belonging, heritage and identity.
