Poster Boy: Memoir of Art and Politics by Peter Drew

Book Description

Secondhand. Good condition. Ex library copy with no external sticker. Date due on inside page. Wear to book corners and edges.

Artist Peter Drew wanted a better Australia. In 2013, frustrated at the political discussion around asylum seekers, he put up a poster commenting on Australia’s offshore detention. What followed was an outpouring of community support, and a national, then global, following for his art.

As Peter’s profile rose, he began questioning his beliefs – a struggle that led to destructive behaviour and affected his relationships. When compelled to face a painful family legacy, Peter realised that his behaviour and his motivation to make art shared a common thread: his father.

Their relationship had been shaped by an outdated Australian machismo – a mix of bravado, inadequacy and shame that not only affects sons and their fathers but informs social relations more broadly, including the way we as a nation treat outsiders.

Told with humour, sincerity and an attentive eye, Peter’s story is intimate and inclusive, drawing parallels between our relationships and Australia’s national narratives. This book is about family and identity, the lies we tell ourselves and the past we bury. It is an expedition to be a better citizen of his country. (back cover)