Hung Out To Dry

This work employs an iterative photomontage approach in response to the hasty evacuation of coalition forces from Afghanistan which left locals – particularly females – vulnerable under the new regime. Having once taught English to Afghan refugees, Chris wanted to create an aesthetically haunting image combining the beauty of the country and its people with the perils its inhabitants faced.

In addition to providing intense colour, the circle motifs are intended as symbolic of the cyclical nature of human tragedy. The burqa ‘hung out to dry’ on the typically Australian Hills Hoist clothesline is a reference to Chris’ frustration at his own government’s complicity in the matter. The ‘surreal’ in the artwork’s title reflects disbelief that, after decades of conflict, Afghanistan has basically come full circle to the same precarious position it was in 30 years ago.