THE ARTIST

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Franck Gohier is a painter, sculptor and printmaker based in Darwin.

 

His punchy, immediate style, utilising bright colours, text and popular imagery belies his works’ deeper messages, drawn from a keen interest in politics and social justice instilled since childhood.

 

His Top End location plays a major role in his practice, with its history, events and people inspiring many of his works. 

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THE ARTWORK

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The ‘Boxing Croc’ image, from Red Hand Prints, represents a time in the late 80’s when Franck's best mate’s mum owned a small takeaway shop at Humpty Doo. They would go and help out sometimes and imagine that the Boxing Croc was their own Territory version of Godzilla.

 

In Japanese culture Godzilla was a metaphor for the USA and the fears of nuclear devastation brought on by the events at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Also at that time American B-52 bombers were landing in Darwin for military exercises with undisclosed payloads to the dismay of many locals.

This image represents those times.