Holden nation

What’s your memory of your first family car? For anyone over 40 it’s more than likely that great Aussie institution… the Holden. Whether it be the classic FJ or EJ, or the FB with its restyled interior and its finned tail-light clusters, the mere mention of a Holden evokes lazy days at the beach, childhood arguments over who gets the window seat and for adolescent males a symbol of screaming machismo, marking a rite of passage toward adulthood.

I like the FB for its unabashed American influence designed to stem the popularity of Ford and Chrysler locally. I painted this FB against the backdrop of Gerringong beach, trying to reclaim some of that early 60s nostalgia. When I think Holden I also think of Bex, faded Cornetto signs outside milk bars and golden haired surfers dragging on their last Winnie Blue before reluctantly heading home into the darkening sky.

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