Richard Lewer: Skill, Discipline, Training
Richard Lewer
I support two teams, the All Blacks and whoever's playing the Wallabies, 2014
Oil on epoxy coated steel
Image courtesy of the artist
Sports-mad artist Richard Lewer explored the camaraderies that came with winning and losing in Skill, Discipline, Training.
Lewer, who is Melbourne-based but was born in New Zealand, explored relationships with his rugby teammates and how sport creates a sense of belonging to a community.
Skill, Discipline, Training featured thickly textured oils on steel backing and altered archival photographs that had been overlaid with playful, poignant text including: “You Are Only As Good As Your Last Weekend” and “We Are Not All As Lucky”.
Lewer reflected themes of the “lucky country” but also points to the sense of privilege and exclusivity that comes with being part of Australian-New Zealand culture of working class larrikinism and mateship.
