Service Industry

FireWorks Gallery, Brisbane, 2016

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There's a casual domestic racism about them that's chilling. They're works that were made by backyard handymen - by ‘everyday Joes’ using up a bit of left-over pine and paint so they could make something serviceable: a little hall-stand to hold the ashtray. …These little men were always waiting to serve, were always dressed in livery, and were always black. Today they might seem quaint - a reminder of how things were, and an assurance that since the time these 'dumb waiters' were made, things have changed. ..But a lot of things have stayed the same. Power and control are shape-shifters, and the casual acceptance that some things, people, beliefs are expendable continues throughout all aspects of our everyday lives.

 

More info at: https://www.fireworksgallery.com.au/exhibition/pat-hoffie-service-industry