In The art that made me, artists discuss works in the Art Gallery of NSW collection that either inspire, influence or simply delight them. This selection by Cherine Fahd first appeared in Look – the Gallery’s members magazine.
In 1990, my Year 11 art teacher, Mr Needham, took our class to see The readymade boomerang biennale at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Little did I know this event would determine my life’s path. In my memory the exhibition represents a freedom that, at age 16, I had never associated with art before. I was a regular visitor to the Gallery after that. I often faked notes from my parents to school, stating I would be absent for half a day to attend a dentist appointment. Instead I would catch the train from Kingsgrove to St James station and spend an afternoon wandering around the Gallery, dreaming of being an artist.