Historical information

Dean BOWEN (1957 -)
Born Maryborough, Victoria

Dean Bowen's work combines humour and gentle irony with technical proficiency to explore the world around him.

'The car park epitomises qualities found in the best of his post 1990 work. Born out of the daily grind of stop-start commuting by car along Melbourne's Punt Road to and from his former workplace, the feeling of this large work (just over two metres long) is of duality. On the one hand there is the crowded chaos of a relentless number of cars choking the roads; on the other, order is imposed in his aerial view of cars 'parked' around intersecting roads as well as the actual charting of roads and interstitial spaces. Zooming in as though from above, cars are alternately cross-sectioned and flattened in outline. Despite his denial that there is nothing reminiscent of Aboriginal art in this work, to the onlooker there are quite a number of similarities. Not that he presumes anything of the Aboriginal experience or imagery (indeed, that it is unconscious is probably the only reason it works), such qualities are nevertheless present. The aerial perspective, for example, is so like the Aboriginal system of painting song lines and dreaming tracks from above. And as seen in the famous 'X ray' paintings of Arnhem Land, his cars and buildings are cross-sectioned to reveal the objects (usually humans) within. The impression of Aboriginally is further given by his use of earthy browns and by the outlining of shapes (cars, roads, trees).' (Susan McCulloch)

This work was selected by the Art Acquisitions Committee (1995) to be placed in the 1870 Founders Hall at Mt Helen Campus.

The Federation University Art Collection features over 2000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.

Physical description

A multiprint etching depicting a carpark that won the 1994 Fremantle Print Award;

Inscriptions & markings

Edition 12/20