Come hell or high water, street artists simply want to paint. We’ve seen this principle play out over the course of the pandemic, as international artists have turned their talents to the far-flung countries where they’re based. Illustrious Australian powerhouse Fintan Magee is no different. Magee recently completed a new mural in Queensland, Australia for Brisbane Street Art Festival’s partnership with Ipswich Festivals. An April 2020 article by local outlet Ipswich First explains that “This year is the first time an Ipswich program has been included as part of the popular annual festival.”
The article goes on to state that the festival’s original format, once slated to include artist workshops and networking opportunities, has been modified to account for the unexpected world events which transpired this spring. “Instead, the program will now roll out progressively throughout 2020 with a focus on using online technology to connect with the community,” journalist Brenton Waters writes.
Thanks to the organization’s adaptability, they still expect to realize Brisbane Street Art Festival’s intended lineup of 41 murals, seven of which will be completed in Ipswich. Magee’s latest effort is one of these seven.
A statement from Magee explains, “This work depicts two rail-workers behind beveled glass. The Arctic glass pattern in the painting was common in middle-class Queensland homes in the 1960’s and was used in French doors and windows. Some of my earliest memories of Queensland Architecture was my fathers silhouette through the glass doors when he got home.”
Magee’s work frequently focuses on the profound depth of human relationships. Sometimes this theme is portrayed through family members, other times friends, and what’s more, strangers. Based on their positions, facing away from each other, these workers don’t read like lunchtime chums. Instead, their relationship might be one of tacit understanding, of silent companionship. Regardless of how Magee’s figures technically relate to each other, a common thread runs throughout: a connection which transcends words, whose subtleties are best parsed through body language. The effect of this historically significant glass obscures certain details, as if to gently remind viewers they don’t really matter.
It’s hard to imagine much worth in the world without other people. Society sits upon an infrastructure of interaction. Magee’s work, soft in visuals and emotions, can simultaneously pack a punchy, unflinching examination. The artist’s statement continues, “The work explores the role of de-industrialization in urban communities and on the suburban fringes of Australia. The figures in the mural appear distant, disconnected, isolated and breaking up. As middle class homes become increasingly out of reach for working class Australians and lower-pay and job insecurity continues to shape how we work, this painting explores how nostalgia shapes political views and how workers view their communities and the outside world.”
Magee’s consistent decision to populate his murals with people from the locales where they’re painted proves another meaningful strong suit. Here, he says, “The work specifically looks at two rail workers from the city of Ipswich. As Queensland was in lockdown, many people in management or admin roles were able to isolate, while many essential, transport, delivery and medical staff continued working. Keeping our economy functioning and food supply moving. This painting pays tribute to these essential workers while proposing a reassessment of how they are valued in the post COVID-19 world.”
In a complex quilt like our planet, it’s crucial to constantly recall how truly consequential each individual is. Reevaluating the respect given to essential workers has proven a major theme throughout this year. With this new Ipswich mural, Magee manages to make a multi-faceted statement about respect for human life, whether it be on the basis of profession, location, or relations. He manages to do all of this while still evolving his already impressive visual style. He manages to do all of this without leaving the country where he lives.
Images by @cheridesailly
