The 'Pits of Death' were featured at Australian country fairs in the 1990s. Snake charmers and antidote sellers amazed visitors with their snake handling feats and displays. The architecture of makeshift tents with its signage appeals to my ongoing research with vernacular architecture. The development of an Australian nomenclature to classify these antipodean reptiles, speaks of a uniquely colonial understanding of place and ecology. The mystery of these animals benevolently collected and mused since boyhood continues to be a passion. The large-scale drawings/paintings are broad and direct, poster like and reminiscent of old-school hand-painted signs and fabric patterning. This is part of a larger series of works completed whilst on an arts residency in Perth, February 2009. Tobias Richardson, Perth 2009