We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Art Gallery of New South Wales stands.

HJ Wedge

HJ Wedge Stop and think 1993, Art Gallery of New South Wales © Estate of HJ Wedge

HJ Wedge Stop and think 1993 (detail), Art Gallery of New South Wales © Estate of HJ Wedge

Stop and think 1993

HJ Wedge painted the five-panel work Stop and think during an artist-in-residence program at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in late 1993. With a scenario akin to Little Red Riding Hood, the work considers who can be trusted and who can provide protection. The girl with the skipping rope takes the form of an emu, an animal Wedge considered ‘warm and cuddly’, while the menacing figure is a dog, which Wedge felt could be ‘real savage’. Much can be read into this casting of a native animal as the innocent figure and the introduced dog as a potential threat.

  • K–6 discussion questions

    • Look at each panel in the artwork and describe the characters and locations. What is happening? Where does the story start and end? Recount this story to someone else. Include dialogue and action for each character. 

    • Wedge has said, ‘I try to paint what I dream.’ Do these paintings remind you of a dream? Describe the kind of dream it would be. How has Wedge created this mood? Describe the colours and brushstrokes he has used.  

  • K–6 activities

    • Remember a dream you have had and describe its atmosphere – for example, was it exciting, mysterious or frightening? Make a series of paintings of the events of this dream that express this mood. Create a film based on your dream sequence using live action, claymation or digital animation. 

    • Choose a fairytale that tells a moral story and analyse the narrative structure. Identify the main characters and the conflict they need to overcome. How is the conflict resolved? What are the moral consequences? With your class, compare this structure with the story of Stop and think. 

  • 7–12 discussion questions

    • View the panels in the artwork. How does the sequential structure inform the work? Outline the narrative content and reflect on the moral message.  

    • Study the surface of this painting and describe the brushwork and qualities of paint. Is it thick or thin, precise or vivid? How does Wedge suggest pain, energy and emotion through paint? Assess how Wedge has suggested a world of danger and vulnerability.  

  • 7–12 activities

    • Analyse the ways in which Wedge’s use of line, space and narrative creates a surreal and dream-like atmosphere. Discuss the role of the characters in these paintings – often electrifying figures with huge staring eyes – in communicating these emotions. What is the significance of his use of Australian native animals to embody them? Write a critical analysis of Wedge’s practice that assesses his use of raw and expressionistic painting to confront the harsh realities of colonisation.