Hills Hoist Hero - Stencilchrome

40 x 40 cm

Aerosol and acrylic on board. 

The famous Australian invention, the rotating Hills Hoist, had two jobs: drying the washing and doubling as the backyard's built-in playground. I reckon every Australian kid of a certain age had a go at swinging on one. I certainly did. We'd climb up, hang off the arms and spin around until Mum yelled from the back door, "Get off before you bend the bloody thing!" The folding clotheslines of today might look neater, but they're nowhere near as much fun.

'Hills Hoist Hero' is about one of those simple backyard moments that seemed completely normal at the time but somehow stayed with you. Created using hand-cut stencils and aerosol, this painting is part of Geoff Cunningham's Australian nostalgia series, revisiting the ordinary moments, places and rituals of growing up that have become some of our strongest memories.