I'm sure the title may conjure images of some long philosophical blog about the nature of life and my unending search for self-actualization...it is not. This is very odd, but considering that I've lived here in Broken Hill for the past three months, I've neglected to even talk about it in any direct way.
For a town of only 20,000 people, Broken Hill is the home to many artists in residence and has quite the flourishing art scene. The most famous Broken Hill artist is Pro Hart, who has died recently. On my first week here, Jess took me to one of the larger galleries of Broken Hill to see the one of the most popular tourist attractions of the whole town, the Big Picture.
The Big Picture is simply put, a big picture. To call it just a painting would not do it justice. It is a mixed media outback experience. After passing through a fake mine shaft, you walk out onto a little bridge with a pagoda. A giant painting stretches nearly 360 degrees, showing all the landmarks, rock formations, and sites of the outback near broken hill. On the ground surrounding the painting are sculptures of common animals, plants, and general objects found in the bush. Sounds of the wilderness is pumped through the PA. It is such a completely sensory experience, it feels as if you can walk off the bridge into the horizon of the painting.
It was painted by Peter Anderson, it is 100 meters long (yes, as long as a football field) and is 12 meters high. It is the single largest acrylic painting on canvas ever made by a single artist, for whatever that means for you. Despite the world record, it stands as an essential site if you ever visit this area of Australia. Here is a link to its website:
http://silvercitymint.com.au/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=53
Don't let the photo fool you, it is truly an awe inspiring experience.
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