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Merri-bek City Council
From the collection of Merri-bek City Council
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Work on paper - Screen print, Wendy Black, Declare Antarctica a World Park - Phytoplankton, 1982

  • In the top half of the image a green rectangle sits over a green, yellow and white pattern. In the green panel, are 13 shapes, which are stylised representations of microscopic lifeforms.

    Declare Antarctica a World Park - Phytoplankton (front)

  • Rear of a post card. Divided into two halves by a pink line in the centre. In the top right corner is the outline of a small pink square for a stamp. In the bottom right hand corner are an image of a small crustacean and in the far right, a penguin.

    Declare Antarctica a World Park - Phytoplankton (back)

  • In the top half of the image a green rectangle sits over a green, yellow and white pattern. In the green panel, are 13 shapes, which are stylised representations of microscopic lifeforms.
  • Rear of a post card. Divided into two halves by a pink line in the centre. In the top right corner is the outline of a small pink square for a stamp. In the bottom right hand corner are an image of a small crustacean and in the far right, a penguin.

Historical information

The 1980s saw a rise in campaigns for Antarctica to be designated a World Park. Black’s screenprints celebrate the creatures of the continent, however invocations such as ‘protect Antarctica from all mineral and oil exploration and exploitation’ remind the viewer that these creatures are in peril. Black printed 500 of these postcards (described as ‘Antarcticards’) at the Redletter Press in Brunswick and they were distributed around the world, reaching as far as Macquarie and Heard Islands. The campaigning was successful, with Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke announcing that Australia would not support an agreement that would open the Australian Antarctic Territory up to mining and oil drilling.

Physical description

8 prints in total

Mounting & framing

Unframed

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