Patricia Piccinini - Art Gallery of South Australia - SA gov au

Patricia Piccinini 

Education resource 

1

introduction 

the exhibition Patricia Piccinini: Once upon a time… introduces an exciting world where we are able to discover 

many fantastical creatures in unusual settings. 

Piccinini’s sculpture, installation, video work, photography and drawing, transport us to strange locations that are 

nevertheless eerily familiar. 

the exhibition is drawn primarily from private collections, and also includes new works created by the artist and seen 

for the first time at the art Gallery of South australia. the works span the artist’s career to date. 

Piccinini invites us to think about our place within a time when biotechnology and digital technologies are challenging 

the boundaries of humanity. confronting us with her seemingly grotesque hybrid beings and anthropomorphic 

machines, she invites us to find beauty in a world that can never be perfect. 

in the exhibition book, curator Jane Messenger comments: 

in recent years … Piccinini’s critique has expanded to include an investigation of evolutionary biology and how the 

machine – that invention that now dominates contemporary society – may, by developing animalistic patterns of 

behaviour, become a sentient and autonomous being. although her work is primarily full of hope … it does contain 

dark undercurrents. 

these undercurrents concern new technologies, scientific manipulations, the customising of life. We are led to consider 

how we will respond to and manage the outcomes of bio-technological advances. 

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tEachErS’ notES 

this education resource has been prepared by Education Services to support the exhibition Patricia Piccinini: Once 

upon a time… and is intended as a guide to assist teachers of primary and secondary students in generating ideas and 

guiding learning before, during, and following a visit to the exhibition. 

the resource can be adapted for different contexts and year levels. it has been designed to integrate with the South 

australian curriculum Standards and accountability Framework, with particular focus on Learning areas. 

it links most directly to: 

• Arts – Visual Arts:‘Arts in context’ and ‘Arts analysis and response’ 

• Society and Environment:‘Place, space and environment’ 

• Science:‘Earth and space’ and ‘Living systems’ 

the aim of this resource is to offer insights into Piccinini’s practice, works of art, and major themes. it is intended as a 

starting point for generating ideas, for encouraging student research, and as a basis for discussion during and following 

exhibition visits. the resource introduces key works of art, provides background information on the artist, and offers 

questions and suggested activities. 

this resource can be used in a variety of ways, both for student groups, as well as for individual study and research. the 

material is intended to complement the information provided in the exhibition book, Patricia Piccinini: Once upon a 

time… 

teachers are invited to adapt the resource to suit their students’ needs, or select and integrate sections into existing 

units of study. 

Pre-visit learning 

• Download the education resource and view this prior to visiting. www.artgallery.sa.gov.au/learning 

• Ask questions: What do students already know about contemporary artistic practice in Australia? 

What do I want students to experience, appreciate, and learn as a result of this visit? 

• Encourage research and discussion on the exhibiting artist, including her use of a team of specialists at Drome 

studio, Melbourne: modellers, cast makers, spray painters, hair punchers, editors, and video and production 

workers to complete her works. 

• Visit Patricia Piccinini’s website www.patriciapiccinini.net and explore other works. 

Key terms in bold are defined in the Glossary at the end of this resource, where ideas for post-visit learning are also 

included. 

Learning at the exhibition 

as students view the exhibition, they are encouraged to think creatively, and take nothing for granted. the following 

themes and concepts integral to Piccinini’s work might provide the basis for student discussion: 

• care and responsibility toward what we create (or destroy) 

• the blurring of boundaries between science, technology and humanity, particularly between humans and machines 

• what it means to be human (or family) in a world in which boundaries are blurred: our place at this time – 

and in the future 

• the possibilities (and drawbacks) of biotechnology 

• our relationship to the environment, to the natural and the artificial 

• consumerism in contemporary society 

• life and death, and ideas of salvation and sacrifice 

• identity (and what we identify with) 

• how we manage / respond to difference and change 

• contemporary art practice, and how advances in science and technology have created new possibilities for artists. 

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aLoFt 

This large scale work (it weighs 100 kgs!) looks real, but it’s not something we would find in our real world.The artist 

imagines different worlds in which we will recognise some things, but not others. 

Similar to other sculptures in the exhibition, aloft is constructed from a wide range of materials including fibreglass, 

felted human hair and wool, steel cable, silicon, horse hair, clothing, and electronic motors. 

here a young boy is peeping over the edge of a large, bulging egg sack, suspended from the centre of a web. the 

boy seems curious and untroubled – comfortable as he looks at the world beneath him, relaxed in his surroundings, 

however strange these may seem to us. 

this hairy egg sack has been fashioned from human hair. Many hairdressers and volunteers in Melbourne were 

involved in collecting and sorting the quarter of a tonne of hair required for the work! Human hair has also been used 

in newborn, the long awaited, the young family, and several other works. 

Questions and activities 

Primary 

• On the way down the stairs, what do you see? At the bottom of the stairs, look up at aloft. how does it look 

different from this view? 

• Why do you think the boy has climbed in, and is now peeking over the edge? Has he been exploring? 

• What is going on inside the sack? Have the grubs been hibernating in this nest? What might finally emerge? 

• How do you feel about these imaginary grubs building a home in our Gallery? 

Secondary 

• What are the various elements which make up this work of art? Does your reaction to the work change as you 

move around and past the work? Does a change in perspective influence your interpretation of the work, or add 

to a developing narrative? 

• Does this strange organic form seem at odds with its environment? 

• This work refers to the idea that it is the right of humans to go into the environment of other species and take 

(or destroy) what they want. Does it seem different when an imagined species invades our Gallery? Discuss. 

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thE younG FaMiLy 

this work was inspired by scientists’ plans to begin breeding genetically-modified pigs to provide replacement 

organs and insulin-producing cells for humans, thus alleviating shortages of human organs for transplant, and treating 

diabetes. the work is not about whether such practices are right or wrong, but rather whether society will accept the 

outcomes of these developments. 

The artist has commented:‘For me, the young family is about the ethical implications of creating new life to serve 

humans, and also about the interaction between emotion and rationality when thinking about these “creation” issues.’ 

This young family has been created by ‘mixing’ together two or more genetically different animals.They are chimeras. 

What animals are you reminded of when you look closely? The mother is shown suckling two babies. She seems 

exhausted and sad. her gaze is vacant. the playful pup is in a pose very like one in which babies are often seen, lying 

on their backs, playing with their toes. is the artist perhaps suggesting that there is not a great distance between 

animals and humans? Despite the fact that these are creatures imagined by the artist, the young family looks very real. 


Primary 

• Look at the expression on the mother’s face.What does this expression suggest she might be thinking and 

feeling? 

• Find out about the range of human organs which are able to be transplanted. 

• Discuss in class whether you think organ donation and transplantation are good ideas? 

Secondary 

• The artist has commented: 

i am interested in the kind of ways that we look at the many ethical issues that surround medical technologies. 

there are two kinds of people who are thinking about these issues; those who are objective observers and those 

that are actually affected by the issues, such as somebody who has a family member who is affected by a disease. 

these are two different viewpoints… 

Public Lecture – Tokyo Art University 2003 

How does this work make you feel about advancements in medical technology? 

• What is the nature of our relationship with animals? We use animals as ‘machines’ that produce eggs, milk, meat 

and now, body parts for humans. Are we exploiting animals for our own gain? Have scientists over-stepped the 

mark? What are your views? 

• Later, research the work and writings of the ethicist / philosopher Peter Singer on animals and pain. 

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BiG MothEr 

(illustrated next page) the inspiration for this work arose from the artist hearing a true story about a female baboon 

whose baby had died while still nursing. the baboon, overwhelmed by grief, abducted a human child as a substitute. 

the child was later recovered unharmed. 

the artist has created Big Mother with many characteristics of a baboon. She is nearly two metres high, and stands tall 

and upright, just as we do. She is gently holds and feeds a human baby, a protecting, nurturing and loving action which 

shows that humans and animals care for their young in similar ways. the baby is obviously calm and relaxed: notice 

the position of its hand, resting against Big Mother’s breast. 

When looking at the work we can imagine different stories: is this mother a specially engineered primate who has 

been bred to be a wet nurse? Is she some kind of helper, carer or babysitter? 

Primary 


• Why is Big Mother so sad? 

• If Big Mother could talk, what do you think she would say to you about being a mother? 

• What is your first impression on looking at this sculpture? Does your impression change as you walk around the 

sculpture and examine it more closely? 

• Why has the artist included bags in the work? What might be in the bags? 

Secondary 

• Piccinini’s sculptures have been described as ‘terrifying and awe-inspiring, repulsive and alluring . . .’ 

(Messenger, exhibition book) 

this comment suggests that we might have a mixed response to Piccinini’s work. What were your responses to 

Big Mother? 

• The artist is interested in notions of family. Discuss in class your interpretation of family, or what constitutes a 

family in contemporary – or future – society? 

• How does this particular depiction of ‘nurturing,’ both physical and emotional, question what it is to be human? 

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thE StaGS 

this sculptural work cleverly mixes the appearance and features of animal and machine. it combines the shape of the 

popular Italian motor scooter, the Vespa, and the muscular form of a male deer, a stag. A hybrid form is created. 

The artist has ‘imagined’ two scooters behaving as animals – as stags fighting, perhaps over territory, or females, as 

animals do in the wild. there is a remarkable sense of movement achieved in the sculpture, with the shiny sinuous 

bodies seeming to twist and writhe. one stag is clearly dominant, the other appearing almost to cringe in defeat. the 

defeated stag looks bewildered – look closely at its ‘dial’! The work raises issues about what is natural, and what is 

mechanical, and about power and hierarchies in groups or communities. Who will survive: the fittest, the strongest, 

those bred for particular conditions? 

The work also reflects another of Piccinini’s favourite themes: consumerism. In Italy,Vespas are seen as symbolic of 

style and class. they are very desirable, even though not always practical. 


Primary 

• In the world the artist imagines, the boundaries between machine and animal become increasingly blurred. 

Imagine what would happen in our world if machines became ‘human’! Talk about this possibility with a classmate. 

• Choose a machine from your home or shed, and show in a drawing how it could become ‘human’. 

Secondary 

• Create a series of photographic images of mechanical objects and using a computer program, imagine and 

animate your favourite image as an animal. 

• Research developments in medical science / technology where new mechanical interventions and attachments 

are improving the lives of sick or disabled people. 

• The fact that the machines in this work are free to be autonomous, and interact as they wish, brings an onerous 

tone to a seemingly ‘bright’ work.They take on a life of their own. Discuss how developments in technology may 

have both a ‘bright’ and a dark side. 

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trucK BaBiES 

These sculptures have been created as the ‘babies’ of large (adult!) road trucks, remembered by Piccinini after a road 

trip in america during which she drove from new orleans to niagara Falls. With their rounded forms, prominent 

bottoms and little wheels they are very appealing, unlike their large and noisy ‘parents’ which thunder past us on vast 

highways.The colours the artist has used ‘humanise’ the truck babies: baby pink for girls and baby blue for boys. We 

think ‘How cute!’ 

this work is about how it is now possible to see machines in terms of animals. it is about how we might talk to our 

computers, and also think that our car has a personality. in this new world, the truck babies need the Big sisters, tokyo 

girls who are technologically savvy, to help them lead a fulfilling life. 

this is another work in which Piccinini explores the theme of families, and offspring. She is also interested in how, 

particularly as consumers, we respond to objects which are ‘cute’, as opposed to those which are less visually 

appealing. She has commented on her website:‘I am fascinated by the variety, complexity, beauty and seduction of 

consumerism’. 

in contemporary culture consumers crave the stylish and colourful; the shiny; the latest models, with glossy surfaces 

and shiny chrome. and we can be easily seduced by fads. the accompanying video work focuses on young women 

deemed by Piccinini to be perfect consumers for the truck babies. 

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car nuGGEtS GL 

Other works here have an ‘auto’ or car focus. Heart Breaker and Blaze are from the car nuggets GL series. these 

fibreglass sculptures represent cars which have been transformed, or compressed, as if distilled down to their essence. 

Is this a kind of minimalism? 

These moulded forms with their fluid, shiny surfaces are instantly appealing, like the team WaF helmets. they remind 

us of gleaming, newly-manufactured and polished cars that are objects of desire for consumers. 

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TEAM WAF (PRECAUTIOnS) 

The ‘helmets’ look very appealing – bright colours and designs, shiny, and we might be very tempted to want one. But 

look at the unusual shapes: Are they useful or practical objects? Would they protect us, as a helmet should? If not us, 

who? What kind of head have they been made for? They have obviously been designed for strange, non-human heads. 

For future beings? These heads may be ‘different’ or even ‘disabled,’ but still need the helmets to drive fast cars. 

the title of the work suggests a group, like a family, perhaps a family of bikes, or bike racers. and these helmets are 

further humanised or individualised in their names / labels: Hornet, transfuser, Offspring (this last ‘name’ reminiscent of 

the truck babies . . .) What do these names suggest to you? 

Primary 


• Look at the photograph Mountain nearby. is this perhaps the land the truck babies originated in? 

• Why has the artist used the word ‘nuggets’ for her sculptures? What other things do you know that are 

described as nuggets? 

• Using plasticine, make a ‘baby’ model of a familiar machine or appliance.What would you do to make your model 

appeal to a consumer? 

Secondary 

• What do you think truck babies and team WaF and the car nuggets have in common? 

• Patricia Piccinini has described truck babies as ‘a cute work, full of humour, but at the same time quite serious. 

it asks questions about the “nature” of contemporary society – and the increasingly strange and confused 

relationship between what we see as “natural” and “artificial”’. What is your response to truck babies? 

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GAME BOyS ADVAnCED 

In this sculpture we see two boys who look like twins.They are focused on a hand-held computer game – ‘Game 

Boy’. But on closer look it seems that they are not boys at all. they have loose, blemished skin, wrinkled eyes – and 

ear hair! These are characteristics of a much older person.The work draws on Piccinini’s interest in evolution, genetic 

engineering, and technology. 

the boys have been cloned. the idea for this work came from developments in the cloning of genes. Piccinini is 

interested in the promise of genetic engineering, but acknowledges in her work that it can have bad outcomes as well 

as good.What will become of the unexpected or undesirable outcomes, Piccinini has asked? ‘Will we love the failures 

of new technologies as much as we love the successes?’ 

the first cloned mammal was dolly, a sheep cloned from a mammary cell of an adult ewe, in Scotland in 1996. there 

was a good deal of interest in this development, and much controversy. dolly aged prematurely and did not live 

as long as expected, and this was possibly because she was cloned from a ewe already six years old. the unnatural 

environment in which dolly was raised may also have contributed to her early death. 

in this work Piccinini is imagining future possibilities, although perhaps the possibilities are actually not too distant. it 

is interesting that the boys do not seem concerned about their situation. they are ageing prematurely, but they look 

quite content, absorbed in their game, just as we would expect young boys to be. 


Primary 

• Would you like a scientist to be able to create another you? Think about whether you would change anything, 

and if you would, why? 

• Do you feel sympathy for the boys – or something else? 

• If you could ask the boys some questions, what would they be? 

Secondary 

• What do you think the artist has intended by using the word ‘advanced’ in the title? 

• Find out more about cloning, and what scientists hope to achieve (or can already achieve). Discuss with 

classmates the ethical issues around cloning. Many argue that cloning and gene therapy are wrong, because they 

interfere with nature.What are your views? 

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SurroGatE 

Surrogate was designed by the artist as one of her natures little helpers series, biologically engineered to help the 

northern hairy-nosed Wombat, endangered through drought, dingo attacks, and urban development. it nurtures 

wombat embryos in its pouches which run along its back. on close examination we see each wombat at a different 

stage of growth. Some are newborns, while others are almost ready to leave their pouch. the Surrogate must have 

patience and persistence, for its job is never done. 

this imagined creature sits outside its custom-made blue leather tent, designed to offer protection from the weather, 

and because he has no fur or hair covering his skin. the tent might also provide safety against predators. 

the artist looks to question the extent to which we will use biotechnology in our attempts to undo the damage we 

have done to the environment. 

BottoM FEEdEr 

Bottom feeder is another of nature’s little helpers. this strange custom-designed creature, with a shark’s head, human 

body and legs like a dog, has the task of devouring rubbish. it provides a cleaning service. 

BodyGuard 

Bodyguard is another of the artist’s creations for the nature’s little helpers series. Bodyguard was designed as a means 

for protecting the Golden Helmeted Honeyeater, an endangered bird found in Victoria.Very few of these birds are left 

in the wild because of habitat degradation caused by urban growth. the fierce-looking bodyguard is perched on a 

custom-made synthetic ‘tree’. Its posture suggests that it is ready to repel both human and non-human threats. It has 

sharp fangs, a strong jaw, and powerful human-like hands. its bulging eyes suggest that it is constantly alert. 

With these three sculptures the artist is focusing on themes which interest her – the environment and evolution. 

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Primary 


• Do you find these sculptures frightening or confronting? Why? Or why not? 

• Later, find out more about the northern Hairy-nosed Wombat which is the subject of Surrogate, and its natural 

environment. How are we managing to protect the remaining northern Hairy-nosed Wombats? 

• The artist has described the Bottom feeder creature as ‘beautiful’.What do you think? Imagine how this creature 

might move to devour the rubbish! 

Secondary 

• Surrogate was inspired by an exhibition which looked at the use of cloning and ancient dna to revive the 

tasmanian tiger, an australian marsupial wolf hunted to extinction in the early twentieth century. Should we be 

developing new life to save endangered species, such as the northern hairy-nosed Wombat, when we still have 

no cure for cancer? What are your views? 

• Recently, a well-known couple used a surrogate (referred to as a ‘gestational carrier’) to give birth to their child. 

What do you think? Is this where the future is headed? 

• Later, design and create your own nature’s little helper.What would it do, or protect? 

14

SandMan 

this installation incorporates sculpture, moving image and photography. 

Sandman grew out of Piccinini’s interest in car culture, specifically the culture of panel vans which were very popular in 

Australia in the 1970s and 80s.The yellow car seen in the photographs is an example of the Sandman panel van. Panel 

vans achieved iconic status in australia. once identifiable as tradesmen’s vans, they came to be associated with youth 

culture, symbolising a time of adolescent freedom – growing up and escaping to the beach with friends, travelling the 

coast with your surfboard. But as well as having a collective cultural meaning, panel vans were often individualised or 

‘customised’ by their owners with elaborate artwork or slogans painted on the van body. 

the installation features a number of themes found in Piccinini’s works, including transition and transformation, and 

evolution.The yellow panel van in the photographs has fish-like ‘gills’ cut into the car body near the front wheels.There 

is a visual connection (or link) with the van and the girl in the video and photographs. Look closely and you will see 

that she has what look like gills on her neck. these are branchial arches, which in humans become parts of the throat 

and inner ear as a foetus develops. they are an evolutionary link back. in the young girl here, however, remnants of 

what would normally disappear remain. 

the ideas of transformation and transition link the elements of the installation. it is a work in which we seem to be 

given diverse but linked pieces of information about these themes. the strange dark sculpture, rather sinister in shape, 

represents a panel van that has been transformed: it has morphed into an entirely new ‘car’ form, reminiscent of a 

deep sea creature. the yellow panel van perhaps prompts ideas of cultural transformation. it is now thirty or forty 

years since panel vans of this type were popular and widely acknowledged as symbols of our culture. they are now 

relics; things have moved on. and the adolescent girl will move on too: she will become an adult. 

there is a melancholy feeling to the work. the girl’s physical difference may mean that she feels isolated, and alienated, 

that she doesn’t belong. these feelings are often associated with adolescence. another theme important to Piccinini is 

evident here – the idea of belonging, of being part of a family. 

Swimming out to sea looks like hard work for the girl. as she sinks the scene is serene – unlike the grey and stormy 

world on the surface – though what happens to her remains ambiguous. 


Primary 

• Which of the elements of the installation most appealed to you – the car sculpture, the photographs or the 

video? Why? 

• Using plasticine, create a sculpture that is your own ‘re-working’ of your favourite car. 

• Create a design which you would use to ‘customise’ your own car. 

• What does the giant sea creature that swims past the girl in the film remind you of? 

Secondary 

• The yellow Sandman has the word ‘Xanadu’ written across the back.What meanings / associations does this 

word have? How might these associations be relevant to this installation? 

• What roles do the objects which become ‘icons’ play in our culture? 

• Create a ‘photographic tableau’ on the theme of adolescence and freedom. 

• Compare and contrast Sandman with another installation in the exhibition, Perhaps the world is fine tonight, in 

terms of themes and cultural references. 

15

StiLL LiFE With StEM cELLS 

In this work we see a little girl on the floor playing with strange flesh-like lumps, of various shapes.These lumps look 

like living tissue, and show human characteristics such as mottled skin, fine hair, and veins. the title of the work suggests 

that these lumps were created in a laboratory from stem cells. these are cells that are able to be transformed into 

any other kind of cell in the human body, such as skin, heart, kidney, lung, or brain cells. they are very important for 

medical research. they offer the potential of cures for diseases, and a life free of sickness. 

the bio-technologies that are of interest to the artist were unimaginable even twenty years ago, but are now widely 

used. With advances in medical research and technologies, the possibilities suggested by stem cells are limitless. 

this work comments on how new technologies are absorbed, and how they become quickly normalised in 

contemporary society. it also presents a scenario where what we might receive from these technologies might not be 

what we expect.Would this necessarily be a bad thing? 

Curator Jane Messenger comments:‘the ability to grow human bodily matter in a laboratory is changing how we 

think about the body and its limitations, as component parts can be manufactured, repaired and replaced in a way 

analogous to a car being serviced’. 

If parts of our bodies can be replaced, will we think differently about life and death? 


Primary 

• Describe the girl’s interaction with the stem cell lumps. 

• What is similar and what is different about each of these stem cell lumps? 

• At school make your own sculpture of a stem cell lump with playdough or plasticine.What disease would you 

choose to cure with your lump? 

Secondary 

• What are your views on stem cell research? 

• Does reflecting on the work Still life with stem cells also encourage questions on life and death? Use this as a 

theme for an essay. 

• In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein (first published in 1818) ‘human’ life is created in a laboratory. But the 

creation is deformed, and so is rejected, experiences only misery and despair, and finally turns against his creator. 

How might this centuries-old scenario have implications today? 

17

PErhaPS thE WorLd iS FinE toniGht 

this work is a diorama, a three-dimensional scene combining a sculpted human figure, stuffed animals prepared by a 

taxidermist, and an imaginary creature in a night-time setting. here the past, present and future seem to collide. the 

atmosphere/environment is gloomy, and a bit scary! 

The artist describes the work as ‘dream like’.‘When you dream, things seem to make sense at the time but when 

you think about them later they are harder to understand.’ and after a dream you might feel a sense of calm; at other 

times you might feel unease. So it is with this work of art. 

there are many interesting details in this diorama. despite the dark, threatening surroundings, a young girl sleeps 

peacefully on a rock. She is shown in the yoga position known as the Balasana, or ‘Child’s Pose’. A number of 

Tasmanian devils lurk in the shadows. Can you see them? Above the girl hover two wedge-tailed eagles carrying a 

strange looking sack. Does it hold new life? Or does it pose a threat? Is something being delivered, or carried away? 

in Perhaps the world is fine tonight the artist suggests a ‘peaceful and equal’ relationship between humans and animals. 


Primary 

• What was your reaction when you first entered the diorama? Describe how your feelings were influenced by 

the colours? Is this imagined landscape a bit like a dream world? 

• What do you think the artist might want you to think about, or feel, when you experience this work? 

• Create a story beginning with the title of the exhibition ‘Once upon a time. . . ’ 

• Imagine yourself in this place with these creatures.The girl is resting. Might she have travelled a long way to this 

strange land? What do you think might happen next? 

Secondary 

• Discuss with a friend what you feel might connect the various elements in the diorama – the girl, the Tasmanian 

devils, the eagles, the sack, and the dark environment. 

• Consider the title of the work. Do you think the world shown here is ‘fine’ or not? Explain why? 

• How has the artist used various elements, including colour and sound, to engage us? 

18

EuLoGy 

When a platypus specimen from australia first reached London in 1799, it was believed to be a hoax because experts 

could not make sense of a creature with a duckbill, webbed feet and beaver tail. it seemed an impossibility. 

in one of Piccinini’s most recent works, Eulogy, the creature cradled in a man’s hands appears to be another impossibility, 

one of the artist’s chimeras. But it is in fact a replica of a highly-evolved fish, whose flesh is a gelatinous mass that allows 

it to survive at depths of high pressure. the blob fish is now facing extinction however, due to deep-sea fishing. in this 

work, Piccinini reminds us that evolution is both complex and fragile. 

in her works Piccinini alerts us to the richness and magnificence of biodiversity, also demonstrating how our actions 

have a direct and immediate effect on the world in which we live. 

in Eulogy, the artist draws our attention to the weird and the wonderful in nature. We understand that her hybrid 

creatures, such as the Bottom feeder (designed with specialist functions to clean our environment) no longer seem so 

remote or improbable. 


Primary 

• Why might the artist have given the work this title? 

• Why do you think the man is on his knees? Is he perhaps trying to save this fish, or is he perhaps about to bury it? 

• What could save the blob fish from extinction? 

Secondary 

• What was your initial reaction on seeing the blob fish? Did it seem real, or something imagined by the artist? 

• The production of Piccinini’s work requires a studio of technicians who are credited for the modelling, rendering, 

editing, video and production work that they carry out. the studio is called drome. 

‘I tell people straight out that I conceive the work and then bring together the pieces. How do people perceive 

that? I don’t know, and it doesn’t interest me. If I didn’t have great people working on the projects, it wouldn’t 

work. i don’t want the ideas to be limited by what i can physically do. the ideas come first.’ 

discuss the materials and processes that have been used by the technicians at the drome studio to create this 

work. 

• The artist’s style has been described as hyperreal. Later, research this term, and also the works produced by artists 

ron Mueck, and duane hanson. 

• View Hanson’s work Woman with a laundry basket in gallery 16. compare and contrast the use of materials and 

processes in Piccinini’s Eulogy with this work by hanson. 

19

thE LonG aWaitEd 

this sculpture may at first seem confronting and disturbing: it’s an unusual sight. a young boy, seated on a bench 

(notice that his feet don’t quite reach the ground) is curled over the shoulder of a large, strange-looking, very fleshy 

creature (one of the artist’s ‘hybrids’?) who looks part gentle old grandmother, and part Dugong! 

the two figures are apparently asleep, and as we look closely we see that they look very relaxed snuggled up together. 

There is something tender about their relationship – but something unexpected also. In the ‘usual’ order of things, we 

would expect to see the older being (whether human or animal) caring for the younger, but in this work the order 

seems to be reversed.Who is doing the caring for, or protecting, here? Look at the position of the boy’s hands for a 

clue. 

is the artist looking forward to a time when we are all able to embrace, or at least be comfortable with, the different 

or unusual – and to co-exist? Children, of course, are best at accommodating difference, and this may be why Piccinini 

so often includes children in her works. Do you think trust and innocence go together? 


Primary 

• What is your response to this unusual scene? What do you think is the significance of the title? Discuss your 

views with a classmate. 

• The work is amazingly real, largely because the two figures look so real. How has the artist suggested a 

youthfulness and innocence in the boy, and suggested great age in the reclining figure? 

• The reclining figure has also been described as a ‘mer-creature’.What do you think this means? Do you agree 

with this description? 

Secondary 

• ‘Piccinini creates extraordinary sympathy between two lives that are united by the smallest of genetic similarities 

and divided by much more’. 

(J. Engberg: Patricia Piccinini’s Uprising revolution, exhibition catalogue essay,Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, 2009) 

• Discuss the ways in which Piccinini has achieved this suggestion of sympathy or ‘togetherness’ in the long awaited. 

• Caring and nurturing are common themes in Piccinini’s work. Compare and contrast other works in the 

exhibition which embrace these themes. 

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thE oFFErinG 

Piccinini has created an offering that you are invited to touch and hold, as you would a baby. 

the artist’s intention is to prompt us to care about it, even though it is very different to us. one of Piccinini’s beliefs is 

that we have a responsibility to care for all creatures, including those we create. 

• Do you agree? 

• Why do you think Piccinini wants this work of art to be held? 

• Describe your feeling of being able to interact with the offering. 

22

The stags, 2008 

fibreglass, automotive paint, leather, steel, 

plastic, rubber tyres 

196.0 x 224.0 x 167.0 cm (overall) 

Purchased 2009 

national Gallery of australia, canberra 

photographer: Graham Baring 

Radial 

2005 

fibreglass, automotive paint, 

stainless steel 

70.0 x 60.0 x 21.0 cm 

courtesy of the artist 


Aloft (installation Art Gallery of 

Western Australia, Perth), 2010 

fibreglass, felted human hair and 

wool, steel cable, silicon, human 

hair, horse hair, clothing, electronic 

motors, 1290.0 x 1510.0 x 7500.0 cm 

(installation dimensions variable) 


photographer: Bo Wong 

The young family, 2002–03 

silicon, acrylic, human hair, leather, 

timber, 80.0 x 150.0 x 110.0 cm 

R.H.S. Abbott Bequest Fund 2003 

Bendigo Art Gallery,Victoria 


Big Mother, 2005 

silicon, fibreglass, leather, human hair 

173.0 x 103.0 x 78.0 cm 

Gift of the art Gallery of South 

australia contemporary collectors, 

S. angelakis, John ayers, candy Bennett, 

cherise conrick, James darling aM 

and Lesley Forwood, rick Frolich, 

Frances Gerard, Patricia Grattan French, 

Stephanie Grose, Gryphon Partners 

advisory, Janet hayes, ulrike Klein, 

Edwina Lehmann, ian Little, david and 

Pam McKee, dr Peter McEvoy, hugo 

and Brooke Michell, Jane Michell, Paul 

taliangis, Michael and tracey Whiting 

and anonymous donors 2010 

art Gallery of South australia, adelaide 

photographer: Saul Steed 

caPtionS 

23 

Truck babies, 1999 

fibreglass, automotive paint, plastic, steel, 

wood, truck parts 

120.0 x 184.0 x 88.0 cm (each) 

installation dimensions variable 

Lyon collection, Lyon housemuseum 

Heart breaker 

from the series car nuggets GL, 2002 

fibreglass, automotive paint 

95.0 x 70.0 x 70.0 cm 

newcastle region art Gallery, 

new South Wales 

photographer: dean Beletich 

Blaze 

from the series car nuggets GL 

2004 

fibreglass, automotive paint 

90.0 x 80.0 x 80.0 cm 


Team WAF: Offspring 

2003 

fibreglass, polycarbonate, automotive 

paint, 45.0 x 36.0 x 25.0 cm 

collection of dr dick Quan 

photographer: Jenni carter 

Team WAF: Transfuser 

2003 

fibreglass, polycarbonate, 

automotive paint, 

40.0 x 29.0 x 26.0 cm 

Private collection 

Game boys advanced, 2002 

silicon, polyurethane, fibreglass, 

clothing, human hair 

131.0 x 69.0 x 35.0 cm 

Michael Buxton collection 

photographer: Graham Baring

Surrogate (for the Northern Hairynosed 

Wombat) from the series 

nature’s little helpers, 2005 

silicon, fibreglass, leather, plywood, 

human hair 

106.0 x 180.0 x 302.0 cm (overall) 



Bottom feeder 

2009 

silicon, fibreglass, animal fur 

66.0 x 45.0 x 40.0 cm 

collection of Julian and Stephanie Grose 

photographer: Simon cuthbert 

Bodyguard (for the Golden Helmeted 

Honeyeater) from the series nature’s 

little helpers, 2004 

silicon, fibreglass, leather, plywood, 

human and animal hair 

150.0 x 68.0 x 55.0 cm 

Michael Buxton collection 

photographer: Greg Weight 

Sandman (installation view of Sandman 

exhibition, national Gallery of Victoria, 

Melbourne, 2002) 

Destroy, from the series Sandman, 2002 

type C photograph, 103.5 x 184.5 cm (image) 


Sandman (sculpture), 2002 

steel, polystyrene, epoxy resin, 

polyester, fibreglass, automotive paint 

261.0 x 319.0 x 340.0 cm 


Sandman (video projection) 

2002 16 mm film transferred to HD 

video with 5.1 audio, 4.10 mins 


Photographer: nGV Photographic Services 

24 

Perhaps the world is fine tonight, 2009 

diorama: silicon, fibreglass, clothing, 

human and animal hair, taxidermied 

tasmanian devils and Wedge-tailed 

Eagles, timber, polyurethane, rocks, 

native vegetation, synthetic polymer 

paint, 327.0 x 848.0 x 648.0 cm (installed) 

detached cultural organisation, hobart 

tasmanian devils and Wedge-tailed Eagles 

collection of tasmanian Museum and art 

Gallery, hobart 

photographer: Simon cuthbert 

Eulogy 

2011 

silicon, fibreglass, human hair, clothing 

110.0 x 65.0 x 60.0 cm 



The long awaited, 2008 

silicon, fibreglass, human hair, plywood, 

leather, clothing, 92.0 x 151.0 x 81.0 cm 

detached cultural organisation, hobart 


The offering, 2009 

silicon, fox fur, new Zealand feral 

possum pelt 

15.0 x 20.0 x 28.0 cm 

courtesy of the artist

GLoSSary 

biodiversity the variety of all living things; the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genetic 

information they contain and the ecosystems they form. Biodiversity is usually explored at three 

levels – genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity. these three levels work together 

to create the complexity of life on Earth. 

bio-technology involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology and medicine. it 

includes genetic engineering as well as cell- and tissue culture technologies. the concept covers 

a wide range of procedures for modifying living organisms according to human purposes – 

domestication of animals, cultivation of plants, and ‘improvements’ to these through breeding 

programs that employ artificial selection and hybridization. 

chimera 1. in mythology, a grotesque monster; 2. in science, an organism composed of two or more 

genetically distinct materials; 3. an artificially-produced creature having elements of several species 

clone any organism whose genetic information is identical to that of a ‘parent organism’ from which it 

was created 

diorama a large 3-dimensional painted scene 

evolution a process of formation or growth; the continuous genetic adaptation of organisms or species to the 

environment 

genetic the scientific manipulation of genes in order to control the characteristics of offspring 

engineering 

hybrid the ‘offspring’ of two animals or plants (or machines or cars) of different breeds; a mixture 

hyperreal / a genre of painting and sculpture resembling a high-resolution photograph 

hyperrealism 

icon / iconic an object (or practice) which becomes so closely associated with something that it comes to be 

seen as a symbol or representation of it 

installation an artistic genre of site-specific, three-dimensional works designed to transform a viewer’s 

perception of a space 

surrogate a substitute; one person or things which acts for another 

25

POST-VISIT LEARnInG 

Students might be encouraged to respond to the following in discussion or writing: 

• What were your first impressions of the exhibition? Did these impressions change after further discussion with 

other students / teachers? 

• What key words would you use to describe the exhibition? How would you describe it to a friend who has not 

been able to visit the Gallery with you? 

• Write a media release (TV, newspaper or radio) for the exhibition. 

• Consider a work from the exhibition which you feel demonstrates the idea that both art and science are about 

imagining and developing new ideas. 

• Discuss the role of art galleries in showing contemporary works of art which may challenge our perception of 

what we understand ‘art’ to be. 

• Which work of art by Piccinini did you enjoy / connect to most, and why? 

• Describe to a friend the work which had most impact on you. Explain why this work had the affect it did. 

• If you could meet the artist, what questions would you ask about her work, and the creative process? 

• The following is an excerpt from a public lecture given by Patricia Piccinini, at the Tokyo national University of 

Fine Arts and Music on 8 December 2003: 

Q: What does art mean to you? 

PP: What’s the meaning of life? I think art is a reflection of the culture that we live in, and that art and artists are 

crucial for our society to go forward. 

discuss Patricia Piccinini’s response in light of your own views or understanding of what art means. 

• John McDonald, Sydney Morning Herald, 17–18 September 2005: Patricia Piccinini’s works are ‘science fiction 

vignettes plucked from some imaginary movie set.’ Does this opinion reflect your own view? Do Piccinini’s works 

have something in common with sci-fi writings or film? 

26

School bookings and exhibition information 

• Student admission to this exhibition is free. 

• Facilitated student workshop information is online: www.artgallery.sa.gov.au/learning/piccinini 

• All group bookings online: www.artgallery.sa.gov.au/learning 

tel: 8207 7033, fax 8207 7070 email: agsa.education@saugov.sa.gov.au 

Scheduled guided sessions 

Guided sessions may be booked through Education Services, and are provided by the dEcS Education Manager and 

/ or volunteer Education Guides.These introductory sessions are approximately forty-five minutes duration. Guided 

session students will be encouraged to connect the underlying themes and concepts of the exhibition with the works 

of art viewed. 

Visiting the Gallery 

• As bag storage space is limited it is advisable for students, if possible, to leave bags and personal items at school, 

or on the bus. 

• Any items brought into the Gallery can be left in a small storage room. Access to the room is via the Information 

desk at the rear of the Gallery. 

• Food and drink cannot be consumed in the Gallery. 

• Photography is not permitted in this exhibition. 

• Pencils and clipboards are required if students are to complete written tasks during their viewing of the 

exhibition. 

recommendations 

Prior to the Gallery visit teachers and carers should brief students about: 

• appropriate behaviour, particularly walking carefully within the exhibition space, and looking without touching. 

Please note that only one work in the exhibition can be touched (gently, with adult supervision): the offering 

• listening carefully to instructions and information presented. 

• remaining with their group, unless given instruction to move away for a specific activity. 

• using quiet voices in the exhibition space. 

accessibility 

Wheelchairs are available from the Cloaking Desk in the Atrium.Visitors using wheelchairs can navigate the Gallery via 

lifts and ramps. If you seek further clarification about these procedures please phone Security on 8207 7023. If special 

assistance is required during a visit, please ask the nearest Security officer. there is a toilet for visitors with special 

needs next to the cloaking desk. 

27

acKnoWLEdGEMEntS 

the following have been used in the preparation of this education resource: 

Patricia Piccinini: Once upon a time . . ., Art Gallery of South Australia, Jane Messenger, 2011 

Patricia Piccinini EVOLUtiOn,Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Juliana Engberg and Patricia Piccinini, 2009 

Patricia Piccinini: rELatiVitY, Art Gallery of Western Australia, 2010 

Patricia Piccinini,Wellington City Gallery ‘In another life’, exhib. cat.,Wellington, new Zealand, 2006 

Patricia Piccinini’s website www.patriciapiccinini.net 

This education resource has been made possible through the partnership between the Art Gallery of South Australia (Arts SA) 

and Outreach Education (Department of Education and Children’s Services). Outreach Education is a team 

of dEcS educators seconded to public organisations. 

28

Patricia Piccinini - Art Gallery of South Australia - SA gov au

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