Blue Mountains News

The final siren has sounded on the 2020 NRL season but the fervour of the Panthers fans lives on in a cultural project celebrating fandom, newly installed on the windows of the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre.

Photographer Lyndal Irons, herself a Panthers fan and former Penrith resident, was engaged by Penrith Regional Gallery in October to capture the passions and preparations of Panthers fans in the lead-up to the NRL Grand Final.

Enthusiastic fans opened their homes and their hearts, sharing stories and their time to help bring this project to life.

From Wollongong to Warrimoo, Irons has captured fans celebrating, decorating, reminiscing, hoping and dreaming. There’s Danielle from Warrimoo in her vintage Panthers inspired lady cave, Wilton from Blaxland and his enviable merch collection, Sue and her dog Angel from Emu Plains in matching jerseys, and 11 year old Rylee from Penrith, a self-described Panthers obsessive, who celebrated her birthday with a Josh Mansour cake.

Not only are the fans writ large on the windows, the project also breathes life back into The Joan’s exterior, replacing a series of vinyls celebrating a 2020 performing arts season that was largely cancelled due to COVID. Patrons wishing to show support for artists during this challenging period have donated their ticket refunds toward this project.

Photographer and writer Lyndal Irons is widely celebrated. She seeks out the unexpected yet familiar parts of Australian society. Her work encourages curiosity and a deeper connection to the everyday, in this project exploring deeply held passions and connections, as well as personal creative expression.