Essay by Luke Foster
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” Francis of Assisi
My first solo show in years is opening at Kirra Hill on Friday 4-6m the 27th of May. It is inspired by my dear mother Maria Foster or as I more affectionately call her Saint Maria.
“ Stop drawing yourself and use colour. “ Maria Foster
In the exhibition is photos, drawing slide shows, drawings, a bike installation, beach performance video and the launch of my comix zine: My Amazing Friends. On opening night I shall read an essay about my favourite female world leader and politician Condoleezza Rice.
“What you know today can affect what you do tomorrow. But what you know today cannot affect what you did yesterday.” Condoleezza Rice
The photos were taken by my talented and lovely friend Julie Lowe.
One photo is of me wearing a hand drawn t-shirt with the text Love Heals on Cabarita Beach and the second is of me sitting on a chair on the beach with the ocean behind me wearing a Charle Chaplain costume and black converse Allstar shoes two sizes to big for me. I am sitting and thumbing through a black artist book called Obama Allstar team about the amazing Obama family and especially with Baracks daughters who are the glue that holds his power house family together. I am dressed as Chaplain as he was a actor of the people but one of my favourite drawings I have done about him says” They are not the key stone cops they are living saints” as Chaplain was always chased by the police but I feel that the police and excellent security for world leaders and aid workers are not keystone cops but living saints.
“The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.” Barack Obama
I used to repeat the drawing of me with the text: Love Conquer but now I always write Love Doesn’t Conquer it Heals.
There is a bike installation called Bikes are Cool with a hybrid grey bike with three a4 framed drawings hanging off it and on the back a book of drawings about Elon Musk building him up and thanking him for all the aid work he supports in the world.
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favour.” Elon Musk
I also like the bike as a metaphor for dolphin activists and also a literal and metaphorical journeys.
There is a table with My Amazing Friends zines as the title outlines about 48 of my Aussie and international friends. This was inspired by Patch Adams who is my first friend in the zine and about the benefits for physical and emotional well being in having a community of friends.
“Humour is an antidote to all ills.”
Then also on that table is a book of drawings I made about Bill Gates building him up to praise him for all the aid work he does.
“The cruel injustice is that even though the world’s poor are doing essentially nothing to cause climate change, they’re going to suffer the most from it.” Bill Gates
On another table is a Charlie Chaplain costume and over the jacket an old book of drawings titled Empty Inside about being zen by emptying yourself out. I always try to show new work as inspired by Sean and Claire but sometimes I think its ok to repeat yourself.
On another table is a Mac book pro with the Charlie Obama video and a couple of baseballs and a catchers mit and my grey felt hat from Kmart.
The mit and balls is about Americas favourite game baseball and about literal and metaphorical throw and catch with the worlds leaders.
There is also a book of drawings on that table about the CEO of Pepsi Co Ramon Laguarta who I love as he does so much charity work.
There is about three hundred drawings on brown paper lunch bags about social issues and I had to edit out a lot of them as there was some intense metaphorical jaywalking.
There is a wall of ten white t-shirts from Kmart with hand drawn text and self portraits with black sharpie pens and they are attempts at philosophical humour.
There is a Soniq TV with a drawing slide show about Sean Cordeiro and Claire Healy my old pals from art school who work together on their installation art and live in the Blue Mountains and who recently won the prestigious Sulman art prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. I recently showed this book and slide show in the Blue Mountains Portrait Prize in Katoomba.
Then there is about ten unframed drawings on recycled paper such as the cardboard boxes that Red Bull no sugar drinks come in. The most frequent drawing I do every day says Thanks to Everyone Who Guides and Looked After Me Today as I am Very Grateful.

































