The giant Komatsu, CAT and other dump trucks are the contemporary workhorses of an industry which has been part of Hunter Valley since the early days of white history in Australia.

 Livelihoods, cultural origins, politics, local tribal rivalries and the enduring idiosyncratic “coal fields” identity are all linked to this endeavour.

All of us who have origins in the region have been touched directly or indirectly by the history and daily reality of the local coal industry.

For most of those years, mining was underground and it was “hands on” human physical effort that extracted the black stuff. (Although progressive assisted by pit ponies then mechanical technologies). The symbols of the miner were the tools of the trade- the miner’s lamp and the miner’s pick.

The contemporary coal industry in the valley looks very different. The scale and technology of modern open-cut mining seems far from pit ponies and miner’s tin hats.

The immense scale of the technology, vehicles and production is awe-inspiring. For example. The giant “Komatsu” dump truck fully loaded, weighs in at around 400 tonnes (same as a loaded jumbo jet).

 The size and sophistication of such tools can distract from the fact that it is a human hand that makes them work. The hands that work these tools are still from the local communities. Some go back generations in the valley mines, others new to the coal fields, brought by work and others doing a career changes. The historic processes which have always operated continue.

The “Bloody Big Truck” is the new symbol of the miner. It is part of the daily   work-life of many men and women in the community. The great beasts are transported in pieces regularly on local highways. The size of these great mechanical beasts is well experienced by most of the region’s community.

Iconic images sustain complex and often conflicting social dynamic and readings. These dynamics  have always played out at economic sites that are central to communities. Historic and contemporary issues provide a wealth of examples in the region alone.

It is my intention, in creating this artwork, is to present an immediate experience of the great beast. The reaction to and the reading of the image is the responsibility of the viewer.