Celebrating Blue Collar Workers in Art

Fox Gallery in Collingwood is featuring an exhibition celebrating blue collar workers by Sydney artist Nigel Sense.

Drawing from personal experience, Sense feels a connection to his subject, “Growing up, my father was my hero and my role model. He worked hard and got paid little, but still did his job with a smile.”

Sense’s workers are not symbols of mundanity, they are the unsung heroes of the everyday who show up and sacrifice themselves for another cause, be it their families or perhaps bigger dreams. But, given the contemporary context, they are also the embodiment of souls lost to the capitalist machine, driven to toil by mindless consumption.

Sense paints his figures alone with their thoughts. Perhaps each title betrays its subject’s introspection. “I used to be in a band” is one man’s lost dream or relinquished creativity for a regular pay check. “Why is it only Monday” is one man’s incredulity at the drudgery of the 9 to 5. “Maybe I can just hide in here” is one man’s defeat, uttered to a co-worker as a joke.

The exhibition Workers & Wankers opens this Saturday April 21st from 5:00–7:00 pm and anyone is welcome to attend. https://www.foxgalleries.com.au/nigel-sense-workers-wankers/