A clearer view of those who exist in the shadows

We’ve all encountered windscreen washers while waiting for the lights to change at Sydney’s busier intersections, but how often do we stop to dwell on who they are or what their story is?

Artist Belinda Campbell has done exactly this with a sensitive and insightful portrayal of five such city-based windscreen washers in her photographic exhibition, launched at Glebe Public School on November 20.

The exhibition, entitled Intersections, presents portraits of the five windscreen washers in an attempt to break down some of the stereotyping that surrounds them and to give the public a deeper insight into their lives.

Ms Campbell says the exhibition’s power lies in its storytelling, an activity that is fundamental to the human experience.

“There seems to be a broad appeal to this topic which I think is perhaps indicative of the curiosity that exists in all of us,” Ms Campbell said.

“And it’s exactly this curiosity, this need for stories, both the need to hear them and the need to tell them, that led to the making of this work.”

Through Intersections, Ms Campbell aims to reflect on the individuality and humanity of each of her subjects, underscoring their uniqueness, their integrity and the pride they take in their work.

“If there’s one thing I did learn, it’s that there’s no common background or story to be told,” she said.

“However, there is a place where these stories meet – that is, on the street corner, and in the means of survival.

“For each of these men, their existence is hinged on a busy intersection, a spray bottle, and a lot of dirty windscreens.

“This is the place they have in common, the place I met them, and the starting point for sharing.”

Intersections was funded through a public art grant from ‘The Seed’, a fund set up by John Butler of the John Butler Trio and Danielle Curuana to help support the work of upcoming artists and musicians.

State MP for Balmain, Verity Firth, opened the exhibition, praising Ms Campbell’s vision and remarking on the community spirit prevalent within it.

“I feel that Belinda has really allowed the subjects to tell their own stories, and in doing so she questions the all-too-common reflex of comfortable people leading comfortable lives, dismissing people outside their own experience,” Ms Firth said.

“She challenges us not to forget that we’re all part of a community, regardless of our background income or how we live our lives.

“The collective experience builds a sense of community, and it gets art out of galleries and into the streets where it belongs, into the hearts and minds of everyday people.”

Intersections will be on public display on the outer fence of Glebe Public School until December 12.

by Tamara Smallhorn