Aleks Danko

Long the salve to soothe the wound, humour is a much-utilised tool in Australian society. Whether it is conveyed through the laconic take of Paul Hogan or the biting wit of Barry Humphries, Australians remain perceived internationally, and largely see themselves, as easygoing, self-deprecating larrikins. Fully exploiting this cultural trope through a heightened sense of play, Aleks Danko’s carefully orchestrated installations cleverly employ humour in an attempt to diffuse some of the harsh political realities of contemporary Australian life that are addressed in his work. Danko draws you in, then sets the dogs upon you. In SONGS OF AUSTRALIA VOLUME 15: THE HOUSE THAT JOHN AND WENDY BUILT (another STOLEN generation mix-up), the artist’s sardonic wit, filtered through his own experiences as a child of Ukrainian parents growing up in the suburbs in 1950s Adelaide, highlights the issue of the return to the beliefs and value systems of the ‘white picket fence family’ under John Howard’s Liberal Government.

Kelly Gellatly
Curator, Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Victoria
Excerpt from exhibition catalogue

Aleks Danko
Australia 1950
SONGS OF AUSTRALIA VOLUME 15: THE HOUSE THAT JOHN AND WENDY BUILT (another STOLEN generation mix-up), 2003 (detail)
dimensions variable
Courtesy of the artist and Sutton Gallery, Melbourne