This was the first ‘dribble’ work I attempted, in an effort to ‘loosen up’. This scene came from my earlier Sydney visits in mid 2000’s. While staying at the Potts Point Holiday Inn the view from my window of the street scene below was intriguing. Early morning and repeated again later afternoons, I would see all these people along the footpaths flooding in or out of the Kings Cross train station, as well as the action being the intersection of the ‘cross over’ streets this location is named after. People, people, people - moving, moving ... these people, off to work, joggers, tourists, council workers, college or school kids
There was such a mix of people, including the usual locals - some still having not gone home from the night before - right down to the Deros
Some years later, when I had let the ‘dribbles’ go and moved on to the rigid and strict, up-tight work I would next do it occurred to me a repeat scene from this location could be good. Left brain/right brain comparison – one work of the same scene from each side of the brain
But this sort of work now required more than eyesight and feel. It needed photographic research to work from
So here I was down on the street one afternoon taking digital photos at one of the peak ‘people activity’ times. No sooner had I ceased and turned to walk away then two female Australian Federal Police officers accosted me. They took me aside asking what I was doing. I told them. One took my camera and ran through the images until she got bored, then gave me back the camera. I was warned that because there were children in my shots I was under suspicion. I was further told my name and details would be recorded
It amazes me what modern society is coming to when this sort of innocent activity is jumped on, when real criminal acts go unacted on. How many premises could these two cops have walked into that very afternoon, there in Kings Cross, and found serious, unlawful activity? No, they would rather take on someone easy in public view, where they were safe from personal harm and could big-note themselves in the eyes of the passing public
Pathetic. I deleted all the shots and the planned painting never got done
Bill Henson, I know how you felt!
Peter Norvill
Kings Cross 2006
Oil and acrylic on canvas
120 x 120 cm