The Worst Poem In The Universe is a journey through Australia and a response to the idea that it could be considered a lucky country. Australian author Donald Horne wrote a book entitled Lucky Country in 1964, and although initially intended ironically, it has since turned into a phrase commonly heard throughout Australia to describe the fortuitous position the country finds itself in economically and geographically. The word ‘luck’ is uniquely applicable to Australia because despite being a country with the highest median wealth per person in the world, it is also the most prolific gambling nation, with the average Australian losing more money through betting than in any other country. These are just two of the many factors that give the country a distinct relationship with the word ‘luck’. However, no-one in Australia can be deemed to be more unlucky than the country’s indigenous population, who continue to have a fraught relationship with their country, an issue which remains hugely divisive and complicated - to say the very least.
The title of the project is a reference to a poem entitled ‘Our Future’, written by Gina Rinehart, the wealthiest person in Australia. The poem was been described as the “worst poem in the universe”, whilst Gina herself could be well be the luckiest of Australians, since she inherited her father’s (Lang Hancock) mining empire, worth 75 million dollars, on top of endless royalties from mining giant Rio Tinto. She is also quoted as saying "There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire. If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself - spend less time drinking, or smoking and socialising and more time working.”
These photographs when collectively assembled aim to add to a new-perspective on Australia and go beyond commonly held preconceptions. Australia is a country with more beneath the surface and far more than what Gina Rinehart seems to think. This work is an exploration into how good luck and bad luck intertwine on the surface of the country.
