Awake!

Date2018

Object number00055712

NamePoster

Mediumpaper

DimensionsOverall: 904 × 604 mm

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection

Terms

DescriptionThe Awake! poster is part of a collection of protest posters by Adelaide street artist and activist Peter Drew addressing a range of themes in Australia’s immigration history over the past century by reinterpreting the iconic 1937 Max Dupain photograph of the Sunbaker. Text beneath the image reads: The Sunbaker is dreaming of the Australian dream He's dreaming of atonement He's dreaming of forgiveness He's tired from all he's taken What colour will his skin be Whose head will appear on his coins What shape will his flag be When the Sunbaker awakes? HistorySince 2013, Adelaide street artist and activist Peter Drew has been installing his handmade posters in public space to raise awareness of issues around immigration, asylum seekers and Australian identity. Peter Drew was born in Adelaide in 1983. He holds a Masters degree from the Glasgow School of Art. His artworks have been exhibited at the Art Gallery of South Australia and the National Gallery of Australia, although his most prominent work is installed on city streets. Drew says, 'The aim of my work over the last year has been to pose a question about the casual assumptions that underlie Australia's identity; does ‘Aussie’ describe the people who wrote the White Australia policy, or does ‘Aussie’ have more to do with the people who survived it? I see more to admire in the courage of those who chose to make Australia their home, despite the racial discrimination of its government.'SignificanceThis poster provides a compelling reflection of the intersection between protest art, politics and national identity. Peter Drew uses the powerful medium of poster art to showcase hidden and marginalised histories in order to question, and consequently expand, the vision of national identity that dominates media representations and Australian folklore.