The next time you wander past The Cube Wodonga lightboxes, you might get the sense that someone, or something, is watching.
A closer look will reveal three inquisitive chickens, part of Tangambalanga-based artist Milinda Hamilton’s latest work What the Cluck?
The trio of pared-back pieces feature a common motif of Hamilton’s – birds.
“I think chickens are such characters; very inquisitive and more intelligent than we give them credit for,” said Hamilton.
“I chose them as my subject matter for all those reasons and for the simple joy they bring.”
The pieces are purposely stripped back, with the artist wanting to ensure the focus remained on the curious avian characters.
“This series of works is about getting back to sketching rather than painting, and focusing on presenting the subject matter with more basic mark making,” she said.
“My other bird paintings delve deep into the detail and I wanted to get away from that in this series.”
This is not the first time Hamilton’s work has appeared in the lightboxes. Some of her previous pieces were featured nearly two years ago, also part of Wodonga Council’s Ephemeral Art program.
Having recently shown at the Victor Harbor Art Show in South Australia, the artist is staying creative on the road.
“I’m currently doing a bit of travel and collecting reference photos for future works. I’m working on smaller scale pieces while travelling,” she said.
When asked what she hopes people take from What the Cluck?, Hamilton offers one answer – a bit of fun.
“In our rural and regional areas, so many people have chooks and will recognise those expressive looks and postures. Hopefully they bring a smile – art doesn’t always have to be so serious!”
The series is available as a set of A4 prints and you can find more of Hamilton’s work via her website or Instagram.