Stavroula Adameitis, AKA Frida Las Vegas, is an Adelaide-based artist and designer known for her camp, pop art aesthetic. A typical work might feature palm trees, poodles, Greek pillars or bin chickens (Australian white ibises), sometimes all at once. Does it veer into kitsch? ‘I hope so,’ she says. ‘Nostalgia, colour and fun can be very energising, and the feeling we get from these objects in popular culture binds us together.’
Big things and pink poodles: Frida Las Vegas’s tour of Australian kitsch – in pictures
Stavroula Adameitis, AKA Frida Las Vegas, is an Adelaide-based artist and designer known for her camp, pop art aesthetic. A typical work might feature palm trees, poodles, Greek pillars or bin chickens (Australian white...
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Stavroula Adameitis, AKA Frida Las Vegas, is an Adelaide-based artist and designer known for her camp, pop art aesthetic. A typical work might feature palm trees, poodles, Greek pillars or bin chickens (Australian white ibises), sometimes all at once. Does it veer into kitsch? ‘I hope so,’ she says. ‘Nostalgia, colour and fun can be very energising, and the...
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- Stavroula Adameitis, AKA Frida Las Vegas, is an Adelaide-based artist and designer known for her camp, pop art aesthetic.
- A typical work might feature palm trees, poodles, Greek pillars or bin chickens (Australian white ibises), sometimes all at once.
- ‘Nostalgia, colour and fun can be very energising, and the feeling we get from these objects in popular culture binds us together.’ The term kitsch comes from the German verkitschen,...
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This story is part of the Art coverage. The original reporting source identified by the page is The Guardian. Publication date: August 29, 2026 at 16:00.
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The term kitsch comes from the German verkitschen, meaning ‘to cheapen’. In the 19th century it was deployed by elites to look down on the supposedly trashy vulgarity of art for the masses. ‘The idea still carries negative connotations,’ says Adameitis. In her new book, she invites us to stop sneering and start relishing Australia’s unparalleled genius for kitsch: ‘Good kitsch laughs with you not at you. It brings people along for the ride.’
Larry the Lobster – Kingston, South Australia
Pink Poodle Motel sign – Surfers Paradise, Queensland
Suburban Palazzo – Earlwood, NSW
Cactus Country – Strathmerton, Victoria
Milk Bar – Brunswick, Victoria
Omega Foods – Hindmarsh, South Australia
Palazzo Versace – Main Beach, Queensland
Priscilla Suite at the Palace Hotel – Broken Hill, NSW
Siesta Resort – Albury, NSW
River Garden Chinese Restaurant – Tocumwal, NSW
Photography
Australian art
Australian lifestyle
Australian books
Source: The Guardian
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