The Christmas Tree Bucket is a darkly humorous and tender portrayal of Trent Parke’s extended family celebrating Christmas in suburban Adelaide. Moving away from his signature high-contrast black-and-white work, Parke utilized a medium format camera and full-power flash to create sharp, hyper-saturated color images that capture the chaos and rituals of a typical Australian Christmas. The project’s title and central theme were inspired by a real-life incident where the photographer found himself vomiting into a red bucket—originally meant for the Christmas tree—leading him to reflect on the strange, often absurdist nature of family traditions and suburban life.
