ARCHIE MOORE
Swamped by ... communists, Asians, students, the Japanese, migrant communities and the more articulate Aboriginals

Archie Moore, Swamped by ... communists, Asians, students, the Japanese, migrant communities and the more articulate Aboriginals, 2019, paper (pages from Hansard Parliamentary records) , 6 objects, installed dimensions approx. 124 (w) x 30 (d) cm, TCG21636
(photo: Zan Wimberley) Love Collection, Sydney

Swamped by communists: Mr Sneddon 16 March, 1960;
Swamped by Asians: Senator Hanson, 10 September, 1996;
Swamped by the students: Mr Beazley, 29 October, 1970;
Swamped by the Japanese: Mr Jeff Bate, 1 May 1968;
Swamped by migrant communities: Mr Beazley, 9 December, 1965;
Swamped by the more articulate Aboriginal members: Senator Boswell, 28 February 1989.

 

Hansard parliamentary records from the 1950s to 2000s, including the maiden speech from anti-immigration politician, Pauline Hanson, are transformed into delicate sculptural objects. While perusing hundreds of these documents, Moore noticed politicians' repeated use of the phrase "swamped by" deployed to refer to, as the work's titlle states, 'communists, Asians, students, the Japanese, migrant communities and the more articulate Aboriginals' and other perceived threats to the nation over the years. Most recently used as an exclusionary tactic against asylum seekers, the sensationalist politics of fear is brought to light as an eduring part of Australia's political history.

extract from Artspace, Sydney, exhibtion wall text

 

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