In his series, Remnant, photographer Christopher Rimmer descends into the Australian outback. Set against the backdrop of covid, the resulting photographs are portraits of isolation, the Australian sublime and exhausted ambition – abandoned service stations, unfinished railways lines and rusted debris.

‘Once Were Kings, South Australia’ is an image of an abandoned relic from the old Ghan Railway Line. After more than a decade of precarious construction, the Ghan railway was first used in 1891, running from the Southern Coast of Adelaide to the north of Darwin. The route however, was poorly planned with some trains experiencing week-long delays and moving slower than walking pace.

The Ghan Railway Line was replaced in 1980 with a more efficient route, leaving ghostly traces like this in its wake. In the rusted carriage, Rimmer locates the tension between ambition and decay – all kings must have their subservants. In trying to connect the top and tail of Australia, the Ghan Railway relied on Afghani labourers who had to endure unrelenting conditions.

An internationally acclaimed Britain-born, South African raised and now Victoria based artist, Rimmer’s work is a compelling find for collectors of photography, contemporary landscapes and those who care for the environment.

Christopher RIMMER (1963 - )
'Once Were Kings, South Australia' 2023
C Type photograph
Edition of 20 (Medium, Large); Open Edition (Small)
Signed: Numbered and signed in the margin by Christopher Rimmer and assigned a unique number which is printed in hologram in the margin and also on the accompanying studio verification certificate.
Comes with Letter of Provenance

Condition: Excellent

(c) The Artist or Assignee

Each Remnant print is made by master print maker, Roger Stuart in Melbourne Australia and is printed on Hannemuhle cotton rag with high quality, fade resistant inks. A 10 cm margin is retained for signing thus permitting a number of framing and matting options. The print is wrapped in archival tissue paper and securely packed in a tube and sent via a tracked service.