As far back as I can remember, I’ve been drawing horses and jockeys...

I grew up in the seaside suburb of Mordialloc, an area then dominated by stables and the Epsom training track. For as far back as I can remember I’ve been drawing horses and jockeys. 

This show recalls that earlier time, except that I bring to the work the weight of experience: two years as a jockey in my late teens, four years as a track rider, followed by three decades of art practice. 

Moving from studio-based painting to working en plein air has created a shift from a quiet, reflective mood to one that is more active, although still reflective in nature. 

As with previous work, space and absence is a key theme. Space gathers and expands the imagination; an empty racecourse is an invitation to feel its history and participate in the events to come, like hearing with one's eyes. 

Racetracks are not unlike the theatre, where weeks - sometimes months - of preparation finally culminate on race day, when the arena is filled with sound, movement and colour and the sense of expectation is positively electric. 

Technology has forever changed the way in which we view sporting events, however. It’s the TV screen that puts us closest to the action and through which most people witness sport. Even at a race meeting when actual horses come into view, many spectators’ eyes remain focused upon the virtual reality presented on the big screen at the side of the track. 

Horse racing has left us with images that have moved even members of the population who don’t follow the sport, and many of those involved in its long history have achieved iconic status. It has truly earned its place in Australian history and culture.
 

Shane Jones