Rachet tie downs are strong and robust, industrially sewn to secure their prized cargo, while being vulnerable, susceptible to the harsh elements. Embedded with red dirt and grease, worn down exposing their histories, these tie downs evoke the endlessness of the open highway. They wear the imprint of their passage and mimic the essence and muted palette of the Australian landscape. My aim is to monumentalise them, retire them from their duties, to recognise their efforts. This work highlights the vitality I see in them, rendering visible the mechanisms of trade, the importance of the trucking industry, which define the country’s economy.

True Blue (finalist in The Churchie national emerging art prize)

2019

300 x 400 x 120cm

used truck rachet straps bought on Australian ebay, Gumtree & Grays Online, steel, timber, acrylic

Photographer Charlie Hillhouse