I Was Half French Half Australian features ten animations of significant French philosphers and well known Australians. This work is very much a 'desire' project, whereby the artist reimagines herself as each of the public figures; Roland Barthes (FR); Kylie Minogue (AUS); Helene Cixous (FR); Jason Donovan (AUS); Camille Claudel (FR); Sophie Lee (AUS; Jacques Derrida (FR); Olivia Newton-John (AUS); Simone de Beauvoir (FR) and Mick Fanning (AUS). The celebrity portraits found online are re-imaged through an intervention; the insertion of the artists blinking eyes and in some cases other features like her nose or mouth. Like the National Types of Beauty series, the insertion of the artist's Arabic eyes complicates a straightforward reading, while giving herself over to racial fantasies from her childhood – the desire to be French/Australian.
Ten digital animations on continuous loop
Installation at Australian Centre for Photography