We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Art Gallery of NSW stands.

Philjames Spun idol

machined polystyrene, polyurethane and automotive paint

110 x 65 x 65 cm

Spun idol is inspired by Renato Bertelli’s 1933 ceramic bust of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, Continuous profile (Head of Mussolini) Profilo continuo (Testa di Mussolini). It stands as a pop cultural sentinel, omnipresent and ever watching. Like the monuments to devotion unearthed from ages past, I imagine it to be a speculative future historical relic to be discovered, or a monolith yet to be erected; an absurdist monument that is a testament to our time.

Philjames, 2021