Ethical Practice Statement

As an artist working within a lineage of appropriation, re-inscription, and critical transformation, I recognise that many visual traditions in Australia belong to living cultures whose custodianship extends far beyond the frame of any artwork.

My practice engages with found images, discarded paintings, and the visual residue of settler-colonial Australia. When a work touches upon imagery, motifs, or histories that may relate to Indigenous cultural contexts, I approach that intersection with heightened care. This includes seeking dialogue where appropriate, while acknowledging that cultural knowledge is not mine to claim, define, or authorise.

I do not presume to determine who holds “cultural authority,” nor do I present consultation as a shield. Instead, I maintain an ethical orientation: a commitment to listening, understanding the histories my work may intersect with, and engaging in respectful dialogue when concerns are raised. This is a position of awareness rather than procedural box-ticking.

Daubism, as a method, is mischievous, interventionist, and deliberately disruptive — but it is also grounded in accountability. The practice of layering onto existing images necessarily engages with Australia’s complex visual histories, and I accept the responsibilities that flow from that engagement.

Art can provoke, unsettle, and challenge. It can also be contentious. My commitment is to remain intellectually honest and culturally aware — defending artistic freedom while recognising the deep and continuing cultural identities that shape this continent.

Vive la liberté artistique — with eyes open.