Poster Boy: A Memoir of Art and Politics

by Peter Drew

When you’re sneaking around the city at night you feel like a kid again. The seriousness of the world is unmasked as a series of facades, dead objects just waiting to be painted. I was immediately hooked. Out on the street I could say anything I wanted. So what did I want to say?



Peter Drew’s posters are a familiar sight across Australia – his ‘Real Australians Say Welcome’ and ‘Aussie’ campaigns took on lives of their own, attaining cult status and starting conversations all over the country. But who made them, and why?



In this irresistible and unexpected memoir, Peter Drew searches for the answers to these questions. He traces the links between his creative and personal lives, and discovers surprising parallels between Australia’s dark, unacknowledged past and the unspoken conflict at the core of his own family.



Packed full of Peter Drew’s memorable images, Poster Boy is an intelligent, funny and brutally honest dive into the stew of individual, family and national identity. It’s about politics and art, and why we need them both. And it’s about making a mark.



‘Peter Drew’s work changes how we see our streets and country, as well as activism and art. Be warned: This galvanising book might propel you to start a movement yourself.’ —Benjamin Law



'An unflinching look at modern Australia, Poster Boy is a tale literally told from the streets. It is a stark story where the villains blend in with those devoted to pushing for change. This book floored me.' —Osher Günsberg



‘To read Poster Boy is to experience the life-enriching idea that one person can make real change. Then wait for the minute, the day, the week, when the afterglow of his story works its magic on your own simple deeds. From little things, big things truly grow.’ —Megan Morton



‘An insightful look into the life and mind of one of Australia's most progressive and forthright artists of our generation.’ —Nick Mitzevich, director of the National Gallery of Australia

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2019

About the author

Peter Drew was born in 1983 in Adelaide. He holds a master’s degree from the Glasgow School of Art. His work has been exhibited at the Art Gallery of South Australia and the National Gallery of Australia, though his most prominent is installed on city streets.

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this memoir that cuts deep into family relationships and cultural identity.

[Brendan Lawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest as fukk and raw as ya mama's favourite blue steak. Some real good quotes about the way the world be for real for real. Well done Peter Drew, whoever the hell you are, two first names do not unmaketh the man after all, thanks for writing this – I got a lot out of it.

[Déwi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars- this was not the read I was expecting. It was very personal, reflective and honest and for that reason I think people will find it relatable at different levels. I think there are some details about his personal life I didn’t think we needed to know. It made me feel uncomfortable - but then that’s what honesty does sometimes. As a parent of teenagers, I felt for his parents - I felt exposed, it’s hard work being a parent - while also as a daughter/sibling I could empathise with his family frustrations but also the ‘normalcy’ of his family dynamics. This life!!

I would have liked to read a little more about his choices for the people in his photos and I also wanted to know more about the people he encountered during his travels and their reactions.

I think Peter Drew underestimates the impact of his art, his work, his actions. The book reflects his humanity and honesty - characteristics we all need to aspire to.

Keep on keeping on - your art bears witness to what has gone before and raises people’s consciousness that what comes next is up to each and every one of us.

[Laura Jayne Tricker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. One one hand it’s personal tale of finding oneself in Australian identity and family. I couldn’t put it down. He’s from SA and reminds me of people I know. On the other hand it’s a cliche attempt at trying to stir up controversy without truly understanding racism and the depths it reaches. I think there are good intentions behind his work. But the second something doesn’t fit his narrative it’s “ruining art”. I think some self reflection on privilege is needed. The book is a bit disjointed and feels rushed at the end. You can almost feel his enthusiasm leave as the final pages turn. I dunno. I really wanted to like this one.

[Sonja Lawrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected, it was an honest memoir about love, art and family. Highly recommended

[Balkaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

First came across the author when I saw his Aussie poster series. Came to read the book expecting it to be about art or at best, photography. Instead, I was delightfully surprised with a story about identity, family and the dreaded word, belonging.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a great deal from this book. I was expecting to learn about community response to asylum seekers and the Monday Khan poster campaign but learned much more about the complexity of personal motivation, psychology and the limitations of ideology.

It is a book about the pursuit of truth through art. It seeds and pursues ideas and feelings rather than a linear, logical argument, although there is a clear timeline and progression. I was carried along in its current, feeling out of my depth at times and clinging to fallen branches to stay afloat.

It has left me less assured of certain certainties and trying to figure out the core of my own values.

[Laetitia Desmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent idea to write an honest book after this political art campaign that lasted a few years.
The question of identity is essential to many australians and the artistic way Peter approaches it is very profound. Our identity exist through our personnal family and history. You get to understand it very well through the book

[Julee Veljanovski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a bit late to the party on this book as it’s 6 years old and I feel Peter Drew may have moved on with his personal struggles with family now he is a parent himself. Yes, despite the title, this book is as much a grappling with his own feelings about his family, insights which colour his ideas of his personal identity, running along side his art work which is challenging the Australian politics of identity and ongoing problematic racial stances.
I came to his work as he intended-seeing a poster on an Adelaide backstreet some years ago. It sat in my mind as powerful and portrayed a proud looking Afghan Aussie.
I recently saw a clip of Peter (like I said, late to the party) so here I am considering his book. It’s well written, honest even when emotionally confused-which makes it even more authentic-and captures many of the confusions of modern day Australian nationalism v wokeness v authentic acceptance and celebration of diversity. His travels around the country, spoiling for a fight on racism, were engrossing. His honesty ar his own confusion and growing personal enlightenment were both amusing and endearing.
I think, that like his beautifully crafted posters, this little book may be a bit important to the historical canon as a snapshot of modern Australian attitudes to race.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really interesting memoir written by Peter Drew, the man responsible for posters which any Australian will recognise.

The posters have social commentary and activism as main ingredients and have gathered a lot of media attention and a social media cult following. It was interesting and enlightening reading Peter's history and his take on the posters, his creative process and the social context of his work.

The memoir is presented in three sections which relate to his personal process and a series of short chapters covering incidents along the way. It is more in depth about his personal journey than about practicalities of art creation.

I enjoyed it and found it very interesting.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straight-forward book about the journey that Peter Drew had as he has been developing his art and the paste-ups that have gone viral. It is a book that seems to want to go deeper, but that family commitments and it being quite contemporaneous prevented. If you are interested in street art, an artist's process and want the backstory on Pete's work you will enjoy it. If you haven't seen his paste-ups, I don't know if it will resonate as a stand-alone book.

[Wynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a pleasant read. I still remember my reaction when I was walking home from Footscray station and saw this very poster (the cover of this book) and thought to myself: that was such a strong statement.

I’m glad to be able to read the stories behind the poster. I enjoyed reading about his struggles and success in many more posters that most Australians would recognise seeing at some points in 2010s.

[Nicole Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Peter has something to say and has shared it with the world. I loved how Peter had a statement to make that challenged others. & I love Peters passion, determination and persistence. Peter you bring hope.

[Joyal James · Rating 5 out of 5]

killer book a story about three brothers in adelaide and a younger brother trying to fix an older brother reminded me of my own story me being the older one ahha rip and also about the aussie posters i looked at when i was a kid

[Dana Pepcak · Rating 5 out of 5]

A successful open-heart surgery performed on a mouse by a team of elephants using wet spaghetti! Can we please have more?

[Daizy Maan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this, it’s a quick book to get through though an insightful perspective about what it means to be Aussie alongside snippets of Drew’s life, relationship and work.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If my experience can be boiled down to one essential lesson, it's that nothing can move forward without truth-telling. If lies persist, they gradually erode love into shame."

[Mia Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. I liked learning about political and street art and have a new appreciation for the blood, sweat and tears that goes into it. I did find some things problematic, such as his critique of cultural appropriation (as a white person). I also found it didn't flow smoothly at times.