Galliano Fardin
For me coming to Australia in 1972 turned out to be like a dream materializing out of the blue… While Italy is a world renowned center for art and culture, the Australian Bush has inspired me for almost fifty years. Before coming to Australia, I was fascinated by historical Italian architecture. Massive amounts of bricks and rocks seemed to float in the air….to defy gravity. In the Australian bush I see cathedrals of a different nature. In my early days in Victoria, I could see forests of towering Mountain Ash in the Dandenong Hills. Back then I was in a migrant hostel in Nunawading. In my free time I would take long walks through the nearby forests that covered much of the hilly country on the outskirts of Melbourne.
Eventually, after time in Melbourne working and saving money, I felt the wish to explore further the natural wonders of this incredible land. It was exciting to pack all my earthly belongings in my Holden station wagon and start on a new adventure. This eventually led to making a move to Western Australia. Here I had a chance to follow my dreams, to continue my adventure, to start a family, to attend art school, and to pursue an art career.
Through experiencing the Australian landscape, I realized what an interesting part of the planet it is. While, in less harsh parts of the world, human endeavour completely changes the landscape and subdues it, in Australia, the huge wilderness affected by cyclones, floods, droughts and lately devastating fires, is a land constantly full of surprises and ultimately untameable.
Despite the harshness and the severity of natural phenomena, there is something awesome and inspiring about such an ancient and weathered land. Its harshness has fascinated and challenged me all these years.