Don't be a Drongo, Mate (Original artwork)

In Don't Be a Drongo, Mate, the classical traditions of European still life painting collide head-on with the irreverence of contemporary Australian culture. Set against a meticulously painted backdrop of lush, romantic florals—a visual language long associated with refinement, elegance, and the fleeting nature of life—sits an unmistakably modern and playful intruder: a bright pink plastic water pistol.

This deliberate clash between the old world and the new invites a critical yet humorous dialogue. The pink pistol, a child's toy, disrupts the solemn beauty of the scene, challenging the viewer to reconsider ideas of tradition, seriousness, and the fragile constructs of status and sophistication. It is both a cheeky rebellion against the preciousness of the past and a reminder not to take ourselves too seriously.

The title, Don't Be a Drongo, Mate, adds a distinctively Australian voice to the work—a colloquial nudge against foolishness, pretension, or blind adherence to outdated ideals. In doing so, the piece celebrates the Australian spirit: irreverent, playful, and unafraid to question authority while still appreciating beauty.

Where heritage and modernity meet, this artwork stands as a vibrant symbol of our identity: a place where history is honoured but never allowed to ossify, and where a sense of humour is just as vital as a sense of tradition.