The temporal distinctions of past, present, and future help categorise our experiences, establish our identities, and form alternate paths and new possibilities. Guided by social, cultural, and institutional factors, the artists and writers in this issue reflect on issues such as colonial histories, mortality, family connectedness, to name a few.
Through his art, Reko Rennie, 2021, which graces the cover of this issue, follows a 1973 pink Holden Monaro coupe as it cruises the working-class landscapes of Rennie’s youth in Melbourne’s west. With the artist behind the wheel, the engine revs, opera blasts from the stereo, and tyres squeal as Rennie actions doughies on the tarmac, referencing “Westie” drag-racing culture, as well as First Peoples initiation practices in an urban context, and the traditional sand engraving motifs of the Kamilaroi/ Gamilaroi people.
