Drawing of Blacket’s Barn at Tocal Homestead by Todd Fuller
Blacket’s Barn
Artist Todd Fuller has developed a distinctive practice combining drawing and animation. His latest work, They Call Me Blacket, explores the rich history of Blacket Barn at Tocal Homestead, reinterpreting its past through vivid animation. This immersive piece will be showcased in the atmospheric Stone Barn Stables during the Tocal Field Days from May 2–4, 2025, between 11 AM and 3 PM.
As part of the event, Todd will give a talk about the project on Saturday, May 3, at 2 PM at Blacket’s Barn. If you are not attending Tocal Field Days and wish to attend this event: Pre-registration is mandatory. Those interested must register through 123 Tix before the 11 PM deadline on May 2nd. Please visit 123 Tix.
The Blacket Barn is the second barn on this site designed by renowned architect Edmund Blacket, best known for his church buildings. The original barn, completed in mid-1866, was destroyed by fire a year later, with the current structure likely built soon after. Using this history as a foundation, Fuller has crafted an immersive, poetic narrative that explores the lives and stories connected to the barn, reinterpreting its legacy through animation.
For over a decade, Fuller has been crafting animations and drawings that explore themes of love, loss, place, identity, and community. Often narrative in form, these award-winning works emerge from his experiences with different communities, sites, and histories. He has undertaken numerous prestigious residencies that have shaped his practice, including time at Bundanon Trust, Hill End, and Grafton Regional Art Gallery, as well as international residencies at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, the British School of Rome, and most recently, the NG Creative Residency in Provence.
A graduate of Sydney’s National Art School, Fuller has exhibited widely across Australia and internationally. His accolades include being a finalist in the 2019 Sir John Sulman Prize and winning the prestigious Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award in 2018. His work is held in prominent public and private collections, including the Parliament House Art Collection, Artbank, Sydney Harbour Trust, and various regional galleries. His reach extends beyond Australia, with exhibitions in the United States, Italy, France, South Korea, Bangladesh, England, Singapore, and Malta.
They Call Me Blacket was created in collaboration with Tocal Homestead as part of This Here Then Now (THTN), a project conceived by Arts Upper Hunter in partnership with local museums. This initiative was made possible through the support of the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund, which fosters the arts in regional and remote Australia, along with funding from the NSW Government and the C.B. Alexander Foundation/Tocal Homestead.
In 2024, three Upper Hunter regional museums were selected to host resident artists for This Here Then Now. Todd Fuller worked with Tocal Homestead, Sophie Cox collaborated with Scone Museum, and Helene Leane partnered with Dungog Museum. Through this project, each artist engaged with local history, creating works that offer fresh perspectives on the region’s cultural heritage.
Todd Fuller is represented by .M Contemporary gallery, Sydney. Todd Fuller | .M Contemporary
