I remember a grey, overcast morning strolling the room of a year 10 exam at Springwod High School when the idea of this painting sprang into my brain. For the next few months it found its shape... and gained an art prize given by Joshua Smith ... the subject of Dobell's infamous portrait,and a gifted painter himself. As you might imagine, this work was an important stone on my path as a painter.

This canvas spread itself out over nearly 7 years between woe and go, in which shape it sits today. Surely not! Why? I have a mind that is often an embarrassment and a challenge to those closest to me. And yes, I have another difficulty, which is that I see what we all see, but on a tightrope. This rope hangs in a dark room that has no edges at all. [Detectable]. There is nothing and no-one there ... just a nervous system and a sense of humour. Yet this is supposed to be home. Sydney, my hometown. Creativity takes courage. Rope, two st vinny's egg rings, bits of wire and 3 knitting needles all found their way into this 'painting'. The purchase of this work paid for my removal to Broken Hill.

This painting came on the back of two larger works on the "sydney and bush" theme. It is clear that the extrusions are important. They are made of wood, screwed onto the frame, and painted, to be a part, yet apart from the central subject of the bush in regards to new culture on this ancient soil. My play on this subject, it's title, suggests something historic. I balk at this, yet is somehow so. This painter simply wishes to express the closest correlation to place and story possible under clumsy hands. And I believe in the value of the clumsy.

This work was my main preoccupation during 1997. It remains a summary image of the previous decades. My son, Benjamin, who has been an astute observer and critic of my output made the same assessment, when he stood in the Mittagong studio where it was made. The 3 panel canvas was purchased some years ago, to a home in Mosman, Sydney. It is a disapointment that wealthy folk who recognise the value of such a massive work will quarrel over its price, bringing it down. It was already pathetically low. I would suggest that when a person sees a desirable artwork that they would better see the purchase as an encouraging investment in future work from the artist, rather than a mere purchase of hardware, needing to be dusted, ridiculed or admired. Ok. All well. This triptych remains a central piece in my output. It encapsulates my beginnings and makes way for what is to happen. It is a fulcrum piece.

This huge 4 panel canvas began in downstairs room of mittagong rail station, my wonderful old studio. Upstairs, in another room, I made No. 2 of this series. In its early stage this downstairs room was broken into by unknown pranksters via the window. At night of course. These visitors chose various paints and oilsticks to improve on what they saw. At the time my then wife and I were undergoing IVF, which had recently failed, painfully. Anyway, I decided to use the oily marks left on the image and built them into it, with a bit of mischievous delight. They were energetic marks! A present bicycle was used to decorate the floor of this room using bottles of ink. Anyway, I moved studio shortly afterwards to an old tractor shed, west of Mittagong, after the marriage broke down. Herein the painting gradually found its shape. Yes, it is a dark , moody scape of land. Sydney doesn't like to see it's dark side.... however, this is one of my deepest works. It sits in a tiny dark room somewhere underneath the IBM/ Fairfax building in Darling Harbour, after being displayed in the foyer for some time previously, with much interest apparently. But it still now leans against a wall backwards in a small dark inner city room. Safely.