Abstract
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Terms such as 'renewal', 'recycling' and 'rebirth' are frequently used in
descriptions of the early graffiti-art practice of Jason Wing. They suggest
environmental and spiritual motivations underpinning his development
as an artist, as much as his capacity for appropriating, reassembling and
repurposing the material world around him. His 'poly-cultural' heritage
-Aboriginal, Chinese and Scottish- has enabled him to bring together
Aboriginal 'rock art' influences, Chinese paper-cut practice and graffiti
culture in a refreshingly hybrid art practice that, in its materiality, resonates
with our urban environment while provoking a more politically attuned
awareness of broader community concerns. More recently, Wing's practice
has matured through a sharpening of his focus on the 'unsettled' business
of 'settled' Australia. In the spirit of 'renewal' and 'rebirth' it seems
appropriate that this essay should mark this transition in Wing's work with an
acknowledgment of its 'beginning':