G W Bot 1954 Pakistan, arrived Australia 1956

Black Swan (2007)

bot-black-swan

Black Swan has the text of a Russian poem (with English translation) by the Russian symbolist poet K.D. Bal’mont who visited Australia in 1912. He was so struck by the destruction of the country by white Australians in the quest for economic prosperity that he wrote this poem as a warning to white man to think and take note of what Australia is, before destroying it. In 2007 little has changed, except for the worse.?The book, made as a family history, honours two people who lived and made a contribution to this life, two people who made up the family I belong to, who valued the beauty of the word and the kingfisher, rather than the destructive greed of economic rationalism. 18 x 46 cm. Published for exhibition Lessons in History held at grahame galleries + editions March/April 2007. Unique State with hand written text. (Edition with letterpress: edition + artist book studio ANU, Canberra)