A Swell Like You
Jessie Hartwig-Boutkan
12 February–1 March

A Swell Like You is a contemporary visual exploration of Australian bush lore, reframed through a modern lens. Drawing from the imagery of a bygone era—where horses traversed the open plains and figures stood silhouetted against the harsh beauty of the land—this exhibition reimagines that past with simplified forms and emotional directness.

The works reject strict realism in favour of figurative abstraction—where crimson horses stand against a blue dusk and sunburnt figures dissolve into fields of ochre, blue, and flame.

While inspired by the figures of the bush—workers, wanderers—the title A Swell Like You invites the viewer to consider who gets to be a part of these narratives, how the 'swell' of old becomes the icon or outsider of today. These works reflect not only a romanticised bush myth, but a layered interpretation—quiet and reflective—of resilience, isolation and stillness. 

In revisiting this historical imagery through a contemporary lens, A Swell Like You honours the spirit of the bush while examining its mythos. It invites the viewer to be carried by nostalgia—into the warmth, wildness, and the half-remembered echoes of a country both imagined and real.