Opiate of opulence
2017
Medium
digital print
Measurements
45.0 × 80.0 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2019
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
Until 1897, opium use in Queensland was both widespread and legal. In this work, a tall man stands centre frame, wearing a rare nautilus shell neckpiece that Foley found in a car boot sale. The lavish environment is furnished with cushions, peacock feathers and a selection of antique Persian carpets and Chinese furniture, highlighting the highly racialised sexuality of the opium den. Each of Foley’s models stare unapologetically at the camera, creating an uncomfortable and voyeuristic dynamic between the subject and the viewer.