Garry Trinh | Artist

Garry Trinh spent most of his youth on a skateboard. He recalls spending hours
on public transport going to skateboard parks all over Sydney. In those days
there weren’t many parks built especially for skateboarding so once there hundreds
of kids competed against one another for their turn to ride the park.

Most of these skateparks existed between the late 80s and 90s. After years of wear
and tear these parks were eventually torn down and replaced by more modern style
skateparks. The ultimate dream for any skateboarder was to have access to a
skatepark within skating distance from their home. Skateboarders treated these parks
like paradise.

These photographs were captured using an old light leaking camera and expired
photographic film. The defects reflect the raw character of the skaters and skateparks
that once coexisted in these landscapes.

Now dormant and insignificant these landscapes were once worshiped by unruly kids,
including Trinh who fought, bled, despised and obsessed amongst these fields. In an
intimate way, the work speaks of the dissolubility of personal history and the growing
up and fading monuments of youth.

Our Spot | 2008