Artist Statement: White Cube - Objects Form Place

CANDIDA ALBICANS: BIGOTS COLONIAL BITTER

Stuart Walsh

Candida Albicans, otherwise known as white yeast, is a culture found in the human bowel.

When this culture over populates the bowel it becomes an infection. This yeast infection seems

to me the perfect metaphor for Australian Culture, for colonialism, violence and the average

Australians unsettled relationship with our own cultural identity. The colonisation by this white

yeast culture in ones bowel is exacerbated by drinking and eating yeast heavy products such

as beer - One will often hear Australians talk about non-Anglo-Australians needing to fit into

Australian Culture. What is Australian Culture? Do we have a defined culture to fit into? The all too

common response to such questions is usually something along the lines of “having a beer and a

Barbie with your mates!” or “Beer and back-yard cricket” completely ignoring the multi-cultural

nature of Australian society whilst also ignoring Aboriginal societies and cultures.