I owe an immeasurable debt to my parents and my aunt, Eunice Culley, who championed my artistic ambitions at a time when traditional schooling sidelined creative sensibilities. With the backing of my art teachers, I made the definitive choice to leave high school just weeks into my final year.

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My single-minded mission was to study graphic design at the Stanley Street, North Adelaide School of Art. Entering the entry exam, I felt utterly overwhelmed by older, street-savvy candidates with an effortless confidence that was not yet mine. When the letter arrived placing me on the shortlist rather than the enrolment list, I felt physically sick. The Rolling stones song, You can't always get what you want'' seemed to mock me on the crackling AM radio...  One of life's lessons!

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The next few days were a blur. Prompted by my father to find direction and not laze around the house, I found myself in an army recruiting centre, only to receive distinct feedback from a granite-faced officer: “The army is not for you, son.”

After a seemingly endless ride home on the City to Beaumont bus I then trudged up the no mercy incline ofThirkell Aveneue, despondent, I arrived to find my mother beckoning me from the street. Someone had dropped out on day one; I was to report to Stanley Street the next morning. That night, a golden syrup pudding was served in celebration in the Culley hpusehold. A bullet had literally been dodged..

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Life instantly found its true direction. The campus was a vibrant world entirely removed from the rigid conformity of school. As a social introvert, I was in awe of the energy, freedom, and distinct waft of anarchy in the corridors. Hour one was a total baptism: standing before an enormous easel for life drawing, not knowing where to look, as the formidable school head, Peter Foster announced, "Five-minute sketches... Please begin!"

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In the years that followed, I carved out a path through Adelaide’s design, advertising, and commercial photography sectors during the twilight of the pre-digital era. As the digital horizon loomed, entire traditional trades vanished almost overnight. Witnessing this shift, I became an early adopter—and occasional, unwelcome evangelist—for integrating computers into the studio, facing fierce resistance from gatekeepers who viewed the technology with apocalyptic scepticism.

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Latter life led to a business-focused perspective on commercial branding and imagery, including extensive time in the USA. It is to capture the essence of this pivotal cultural shift, and to honour the resilience, artistry, and respect of those who were an integral part of it, that I commit myself to this work.