The 2022 exhibition Spirit of SA brought together 42 paintings of South Australian people, landscapes and cultural icons to raise funds for the Childhood Cancer Association.
Artists Mark Lobert and Phil Hodgson produced the collection in approximately 30 weeks, volunteering their time and dividing the work according to their complementary skills.
Portraits and places forming a regional identity
The subjects included musician Jimmy Barnes, actor Teresa Palmer, chef Maggie Beer, singer Guy Sebastian, former prime minister Julia Gillard and footballer Chelsea Randall.
Landmarks and familiar objects also appeared, including Kangaroo Island’s Remarkable Rocks, the horse-drawn tram to Granite Island, the Hills Hoist, Farmers Union Iced Coffee, FruChocs and frog cakes.
Hodgson concentrated on portraiture, while Lobert developed landscapes, objects and colour. Their images combined public figures with everyday symbols, constructing an affectionate but varied account of South Australia.
Forty-two works produced for one cause
The exhibition grew from an initial proposal for around 14 works to three times that number. The paintings were shown at Adelaide’s Westpac House and auctioned online with a fundraising target of at least $100,000.
Media figure and Childhood Cancer Association ambassador Mark Soderstrom initiated the project. His work with families affected by childhood cancer gave the fundraising goal an immediate human context.
Lobert had also used painting to support individual children, including an image of Iron Man made for a boy receiving palliative care.
Spirit of SA linked regional pride with collective action. The exhibition’s familiar subjects attracted attention, but its purpose was to convert that recognition into practical support for children and families facing serious illness.