Screen #7 Here and There

The drive-in cinema screen is a recurring motif in the work of Melbourne artist, Callum Morton. This post-war relic is of interest to Morton because it is a redundant form of architecture that has been superseded by other types of screen-based entertainment, such as computers and mobile phones. Most drive-ins have been demolished, however some of these structures can still be found in the suburbs, serving as nostalgic monuments to post-war leisure, affluence and pop culture. By downsizing the drive-in cinema into a finely built model, Morton draws our attention to how some forms of 20th century architecture are haunted by the past. He also explores the idea of the tabula rasa in these sculptures, their screens a blank slate upon which we project our own meanings. The face of this particular screen features a retro op-art design, recalling abstract painting of the 1960s.