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Paul Burman
Even more lost, Mr McCubbin
Acrylic on linen
Referencing Frederick McCubbin’s 1886 painting ‘Lost’, which depicts the colonial view of the bush as a threatening and hostile element, I have reimagined the scene in a 21st century context: the natural environment depleted and under constant threat by industrialised ‘development’. Ironically, while it may be harder to get physically lost, there is the sense that through ‘taming’ the landscape, we become increasingly detached from our sense of belonging to it, and become even more lost in a spiritual and existential sense. In homage to McCubbin’s original work, I’ve echoed his composition of trees, but have replaced the lost girl of his painting (and the innocence she implies) with a speeding car, a service station, bulldozers readying for further clearances, and fast food packaging.
Size: 74 × 116 cm
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About Paul Burman
As artist and author, my work is shaped by a deeply-felt attachment to the environment and rhythm of the seasons. My novels, short stories and non-fiction have been published in the UK and Australia. My paintings are held in private collections in Australia, the UK, USA and Romania.