Dr Anneke Silver’s ‘Iconic Moments’ series was donated to the Mackay Regional Council Art Collection by the artist in 2022. The series is comprised of six oil paintings on timber, each depicting a uniquely Australian scene, accompanied by a story from Silver’s time spent in outlying regions of Queensland and New South Wales. The collection of stories that inspired the series was gathered by Silver mainly during her time with Flying Arts Alliance, where she commenced as a tutor in the 1980s. Silver’s selected ‘iconic moments’ feature witty and charming tales of working dogs, water tanks, wombat wrangling, wet season chaos, horse mustering mishaps, and late-night visions of urban legends, brought to life by expressive brush strokes and outback colour. The paintings presented through a traditional altarpiece form–each with their own shape and design nuances–are mounted and cased in individual Perspex cases. Silver has utilised this familiar format to underscore the connection between symbol and experience–the everyday and the extraordinary.

Dr. Anneke Silver is a prominent Queensland artist born in the Netherlands and based in North Queensland (Townsville). She commenced as a tutor for Flying Arts tutor in 1980, providing workshops in painting, drawing, mixed media, concept development and specialised colour studies for regional students and groups all over Australia. She received formal art training in Amsterdam and Brisbane, and gained her PhD in Creative Arts at James Cook University in North Queensland where she was an Associate Professor lecturing in painting, drawing and history/theory of Art. Silver has had more than 30 solo exhibitions, has been part of many group shows, residencies, public art commissions and her work is widely represented in Australian and international collections including The National Gallery of Australia, Queensland Art Gallery.
--Artspace Mackay 2023

Story for ‘Oiling the wombat’:-
My son and his family were visiting friends in the country, where there were frequent sightings of wombats. Keen to show their young daughter they ventured forth. No sooner did they spot one or a small panel van pulled up and people rushed out to catch the wombat. “Just oiling your wombat!!“ they shouted. It seemed like a strange hobby until it became clear in subsequent conversation that this prevents a deadly mange that wombats are prone to.
-- Anneke Silver 2009