St Albans artist Paul Borg was named a finalist in this year’s Blake Prize. 71058 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By Laura Wakely
PAUL Borg’s idea began with a suitcase, due to be collected for hard rubbish with the rest of the junk on a street.
But Paul took the suitcase home, placing it in his St Albans house.
There was something about that suitcase.
One day, while staring at the suitcase, Paul had a vision of a house frame tied on top of it.
The artist began his work, developing the idea into several homes, tied to suitcases, floating in the sea.
The painting became “Moving Home” and a finalist in this year’s Blake Prize, which honours contemporary art and poetry exploring the themes of spirituality, religion and human justice.
The Victoria University lecturer’s work usually captures suburban life, whether it’s landscapes or people.
In 2009 he exhibited almost 200 sketches he’d made of people on the Sydenham line and he’s been shortlisted for the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize four times.
But this painting is a little closer to home.
Paul’s parents both migrated to Australia from Malta after World War II and the idea of people bringing their life across the sea is something that resonates with him.
“I saw these images on TV, a man waiting for his wife to arrive with his four daughters,” Paul said.
“The boat sank, the wife arrived and the daughters didn’t.”
The thought of taking that risk prompted Paul to ask his own father why he made the journey to a foreign country, hundreds of kilometres away, which he knew nothing about.
“After the war in Europe any place that offered hope was better” was his father’s reply.
“We all have got something to do with boat people, we’re all people who have come to this land,” Paul said.
“It’s everyone’s problem that we’ve got to work out a solution to.”
To see more of Paul’s work visit www.flickr.com/photos/paul_borg_artist.
