Binningup artist brings 90s back in burst of colour at Mandurah Art Gallery

A Binningup artist has brought images from the 1990s to life in an explosion of colour in their exhibition now on show at Mandurah Art Gallery.

Elisha McGuckin’s paintings of Doc Martens, handheld radios and lollies have brought childhood memories to life in a vibrant display.

Her exhibition, Sweet Candy Retro Love Pop, shows off the colour, consumerism and chaos of the late 80s and early 90s intended to push positive vibes.

McGuckin said her work was intended to be seen as a contradiction, displaying a world some may see as miserable as vibrant and fun.

“In my speech at the gallery opening, I said I that I hope the world finds peace and happiness,” she said.

“You always hear the world is so miserable and horrible all the time, so you may as well do something positive.”

McGuckin said looking back at her childhood, she could see the faults present at the time, with some still apparent today.

“It’s a miserable world of mass production and it kills our environment; it’s just horrible in so many ways,” she said.

“But thinking back to my own childhood, it’s all positive feelings.

“I’m a total contradiction of myself. I’m basically rebelling against the whole damn thing.

“You can’t do anything about the past, you’ve just got to accept it and making it colourful is making light of the situation.”

McGuckin said it was not her first time exploring the themes in her vibrant pop-art style, with her first exhibition diving into the challenges of being a new mother.

“That was a way of coping and getting through what was this incredibly difficult time where I added more pressures by taking on this exhibition,” she said.

“And every single thing that came out of me was vibrant and colourful. Maybe it stems a little bit from the kids bringing that joy back into my world as well as my own childhood.”

She jumped full-time into an arts career in 2016 and said she rarely entered the studio with a plan in place.

She said an object could catch her eye and become the subject of her painting, becoming one of several works on the go at any one time.

“There’s always really loud music and everything is happy and positive all the time,” McGuckin said.

“I’ve got to paint fast because usually I have the kids and I’ve only really got four or five hours without the kids when I’m at home and not doing mum duty.”

McGuckin’s work is on show at the gallery from until January 19, with all works for sale.