<\/a><\/p>\nA couple of months ago I was given a book that has inspired a greater interest for me in the many ruins and old buildings of the Outback.<\/p>\n
It’s a collection of drawings, water colour and oil paintings of Outback homesteads, woodsheds and stockyards by South Australian artist Bruce Swann.<\/p>\n
It was given to me by his son Phil and it turned out to be a better gift than he could have imagined.<\/p>\n
His father was a stock auctioneer who travelled much of Outback Australia with his work. His greatest talent though, was drawing and painting the buildings and structures he saw in his travels. A lot of them have now become disused or ruins, others modernised or pulled down so it’s a good record of a changing world. <\/a><\/p>\n
From time to time I come across the same buildings Bruce Swann drew decades ago and there’s now a link there for me to work with, for he’s caught the peace and beauty that is often associated with these old buildings or the sense of adversity in what is a hard and arid landscape.<\/p>\n
There are at least four books that have been published of Swann’s work and some of his original drawings and painting are among some major collections here and overseas.<\/p>\n
From the book “Swann’s Australia” I’ve taken these two water colours of the Nilpena Woolshed along with two of my own photographs. <\/a><\/p>\n
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Swanning through the Outback - Peter MacDonald Photo<\/title>\n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n