Marc Etherington, Marlboros (installation view), 2024. Acrylic on board, 35.5 x 28cm. Courtesy: the artist and Hugo Michell Gallery, Adelaide.

An exhibition of paintings and hand-cut sculptures, My Old Heart is a marriage of humour and sincerity. The title alludes to Marc Etherington’s concern for the health of his heart after decades of indulging in relatable vices like junk food and alcohol. This is also a loving nod to his wife Kate, as he says “… sometimes I refer to Kate as ‘my old heart’.”

The show is balanced by his unbridled sense of humour, given to us through his absurd scenes; a herd of smoking buffalo, death rafting down the river with a boombox, the artist eating a 9-scoop ice cream cone while riding a deer. Amidst this are quiet moments of introspection and love as Etherington ruminates on small town domestic life with representations of his cat Boogins and Kate’s vegetable garden.

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