Week 12

Fiery Passions & Jason Wing


Today we read the extract from ‘Fiery Passions’, written by John McDonald, and were asked if urban indigenous artists have a right to express their anger at mainstream Australian society and if it help their cause. The reading was quite difficult, as John seemed to jump around a bit in topic. The article was generally about the topic of Aboriginals and their ‘need’ to produce work which comments on how hard it is to be a native in Australia and if they aren’t saying this, they 'aren’t proper aboriginals'. “If there are blackfelllas that aren’t angry then I’m suspicious of them” Ah Kee’s quote. The discussion in class was good and we all basically came to the same conclusion, that fighting racism with more racism isnt going to get anyone anywhere: The aboriginal people have a lot to complain and be angry about, in the way of what has happened to them as people in the past, but what happened, the laws and the attitudes of people have changed dramatically in the last 50 or so years. If they were producing this ‘angry’ art during that time it would have been fair enough, but there is no need for it now. Doing this just continues the issues and continues the separation between the people of Australia. There are more relevant issues nowadays, for Aboriginal and all Australians for that matter. Jason Wing, who currently has an exhibition at Tandanya, the national aboriginal cultural institute in Adelaide. His work, very subtly, reflects these opinions, but in a new and innovative way. His pieces remind us that drug and alcohol abuse are some of the most significant issues faced by contemporary Australia. He has installations of beds made from needles and spray cans (pictured below), demonstrating these issues which are a by-product of colonization, which the mainstream Australia often overlook, when examining the contemporary position of Aboriginal Australians. 

This also related back to the article, when other races are mentioned with Richard Bells quote “every new wave of boat people are slotted into Australian society over the blackfellas”. This is also interesting in relation to artist Jason Wing, because he is part Chinese and part Aboriignal, and seeing his views on this topic would be very interesting as an artist. He addresses issues of bi-cultural and indigenous political identity, by using both his heritages through his artwork, such as these Chinese and Aboriginal inspired pieces below. This piece comments on all of these issues, with the words ‘no exit’ and ‘go back’ within the figures.

Interesting Links:

• http://www.jasonwing.net/  (Jason Wing)
• http://www.tandanya.com.au/ (Tandanya, Adelaide)

Mid-Break (Part 2)

After Leaving Uluru, we did the huge 11 hour journey to Ceduna, staying again at Coober Pedy overnight to break it up. Stopping at Marla along the way, which is a tiny community and actually has an art gallery at the roadhouse, Mimili Maku Arts and Crafts (Pictured Below). There was a lot of hand painted canvases in this gallery, all the art from the near by the Anangu people in the community of Mimili.

When buying a piece of work, you receive a page of information on the artist and the Mimili Community, and what your money is going towards. It also informs you, The art centre takes it names from the maku or witchetty found in the roots of the witchetty bush. The coimmunitys Aboriginally-owned art business has grown in an old disused building, in this case a stone and cement homestead that actually housed some of the current artists when they were children. Mimili Maku Arts involves men and women, young and old people from the community and the four surrounding homelands of Perentie Bore, Wanmare, Blue Hills and Sandy’s Bore. They mainly use acrylic paint on linen or canvas. They also do craft in the art centre, such as making Spinifex baskets and carve artifacts and burn into wood, such as these three (pictured below). Mimili Maku Arts started in 2004 and has been successful ever since.

Arriving in Ceduna was a relief after such a big drive and being in my hometown is always good. Ceduna has a large Aboriginal community and also a large art community in general. There is two art galleries, one is owned by WestArt, which exhibits all the time and is open a few days a week, having special exhibitions around once a year, with a mixture of Aboriginal Art and Non-Aboriginal Art. The artwork is just Art, its not put into categories, such as Aboriginal Art, which i think is great. There shouldn't have to be title put on each piece, they should just be appreciated for what they are and the skill/story involved. While I was in town, i went to an art opening called 'Textures' which had a great range of work in it, all with different textures. The other art gallery, is the Ceduna Aboriginal Arts and Culture Centre (pictured below), which opened in 2001 and has a range of items, including textiles and clothing, fibre baskets, woodwork and artifacts, animal prodicts and jewellary. The business has encouraged Indiginous participation not only in Arts, but also in the operation of a small business. The Centre provides work placements for clients, and the artists have the opportunity to be introduced to and explore a variety of Art mediums through work placement in the Centre. The Centre gives the Indiginous artists as far as Oak Valley, Maralinga, Yalata, Koonibba and Ceduna somewhere to display and sell their art works, there by, creating indirect flowons into the Aboriginal communities. I go to each gallery everytime i go back, because there is always something new and different to be explored. 

This has opened up the dorrs for many Aboriginal Arts in Ceduna, such as now their pieces are hanging throughout the town in businesses, such as the as you walk into the local Foreshore Hotel, where there is artwork by local Aboriginal Artists for sale (pictured below). The featured piece is by Janine Grey, titled: "Bar-gu Wirnarn" translated to going hunting. The detail in this artwork was amazing, made of hundreds of dots and lines to represent the local animals which are hunted by the Aboriginal People. The piece reminds me of the sea for some reason, as if the desert was a sea with all the animals swimming around int he red sand.

I then came back to Adelaide. End of Mid-Break. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, experiencing the 'real' Australia. Seeing the countries size and variety of landscape, learning some culture and history, and viewing Artwork, Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal... And spending time with family.

Interesting Links:

• http://www.anangukuarts.com.au/ (Mimili Maku Arts and Crafts)
• http://www.ceduna.net/site/page.cfm (Ceduna)

Mid-Break (Part 1)

Mid-Break Part 1

For the last few years I have been begging my parents to go to Uluru, so that I can tag along on a last family vacation before I get too old. So over the mid-break a friend and I drove for two days to Uluru with my family, stopping at Port Augusta and Coober Pedy overnight on the way and again at Coober Pedy on the way back, then on to Ceduna, where my family are from for a weeks. I thought id add this into my blog, because I got to have a first hand experience in seeing the giant rock which is in the middle of large controversy over people climbing the sacred area, claimed by the local aboriginal people. And along the way I also got to see a couple of art and craft galleries of the local community.

From Port Augusta, 5 or so hours later we reached Coober Pedy, which has a population of around 3,500 and is the opal capital of the world. This was the first time I had been to Coober Pedy and it was very ‘unique’, because of its remoteness and the times of underground structures and houses they had. While there we visited some underground opal shops and galleries and also some of the churches, which there seemed to be a lot of. We also visited a Aboriginal Art gallery which also was the home of orphaned kangaroos of the area, Josephine’s Gallery & Kangaroo Orphanage. This gallery is the largest regional Aboriginal Art Galery and had a wide selection of Aboriginal artists and types of work, from fine art to original hand painted bookmarks (inside gallery, pictured below). There was also didgeridoos for people to play and other craft objects to buy and lets not forget the fact that you could get up close and personal with baby kangaroos. They also have a few strange gift ideas in the shop, such as ‘roo poo’ for $6.99. They also touched lightly on the aboriginal culture of the town and surrounding area.

Tommy Crow, an Aboriginal artist from Alice Springs, really stood out to me. His paintings were a series of stunning landscapes themed ‘Sunset dreaming’ in a uniquely contemporary style. He is a self-taught artist who was inspired by other indigenous artists who he had met travelling and after he says that “the spirit came to me or something like that, and I just went out to my studio and put it down on canvas”. (Below) was a favourite for me, I love how the strong warm colours behind contrasts so well with the silhouettes, forcing them to jump out and come alive. There is also so much movement in the piece through the stance of the people and animals and with one glance you can see that he is portraying the Australian Outback in its most Cultural and traditional sense.

Next we did the big 8 or so hour drive to Uluru, counting dead animals to keep us amused. Uluru is located in the Kata Tjuta National Park which is located on Anangu Land, who have actively managed the ancient land using traditional practices and knowledge passed down through Tjukurpa, the foundation of all Anangu knowledge. Getting there just in time, we went immediately to view Uluru through the lighting of the sunset. Viewing the rock was amazing, before I didn’t really think a rock could be that interesting, but it actually blew me away of its size and beauty in comparison to the sandy plains surrounding. Resulting in the area being recognized by the World Heritage List. (Below, me with Uluru on sunset). After staying at the Ayers Rock Resort, the next day we spent exploring Uluru. After climbing it, My family and I did some of the walks around the rock viewing waterholes and rock caves, and learning about the tribes and people of the area.

'That's a really important sacred thing that you are climbing. You shouldn't climb. It's not the real thing about this place. The real thing is listening to everything'

The area is very well maintained and although there would be a lot of money being made there, I believe it is being done with a lot of respect for the community and the Indiginous people.  Everywhere you turn you are reminded of the culture of the area, such as the quote above, and there are many plaques informing of Aboriginal beliefs connected with Uluru and their connection with it. They believe that about 10 Dreamtime spirit people created the rock during the dreamtime, consisting of many of the local animals of the area, mostly snakes and the different ‘snake people’ who were living around the area at the time. All very interesting and creative in concept. Only spending a day there, we didn’t get to fully experience the area. I would of loved to do an Aboriginal tour and see some more artwork, which is on offer. While at the resort I did visit one gallery/shop, which was very cool and offered different garments and objects with traditional artworks printed on them. Such as this little coin bag (below), which comes with a small booklet, informing you of the artist, in this case Ruth Napaljarri Stewart, and story behind the piece of work and a brief history and culture of the tribe, she comes from. I think this is important when selling aboriginal art. It makes it more personal and you can investigate further into the artists and area if you would like to.

…to be continued.

Interesting Links:

·       http://www.sunsetdreamingaustralia.com.au/artists (Tommy Crow’s Website)

·       http://www.cooberpedy.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=191 (About Coober Pedy)

·       http://austhrutime.com/mythology_uluru.htm (Dreamtime stories of Uluru)

·       http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru/index.html (About Uluru)

Week 8

Urban Aboriginal Art

This week we looked at urban Aboriginal Artists, who see themselves as being squarely in the mainstream of contemporary Australian art and refuse to be differentiated or marginalized into a separate category. These artists use a wide variety of media and modes of expression, ranging from painting, prints, pottery, photography, digital works and installations. These artists battle against the stereotyping of Aboriginal Art and is often criticized for being not ‘authentic’ enough, because of their non-traditional techniques.

Some urban Aboriginal Artists to note:

·       Gordon Bennett

·       Judy Watson

·       Tracey Moffatt

·       Fiona Foley

·       Richard Bell

·       Sally Morgan

·       Trevor Nickolls

·       Albert Namatjira

·       Mickey of UllaDulla

·       William Barak

·       Tommy McRae

·       And the previously mentioned Lin Onus

A stand out artisst for me from this group is Trevor Nickolls. His drawings and paintings reflect his personal experience as an aborignal man from remotes South Australia, and his relationship to land, place and history. Using bright colours and a relaxed technique, his work mirrors his passionate search for the meaning of life and its struggles and joys. Nickolls depicts a wide range of perception, translating greedm humour and political issues to a visual surface with pure energy.

Trevor Nickolls, Mother Earth and Father Space stealing a kiss during the war against humanity, 2004 (Synthetic polymer paint on canvas)

Week 5,6,7

The last few lectures have been on Different Regional Styles of Australia for Aborginal Art. Each has its own style and techniques. The three main styles are, The Desert Region, The Kimberley Region and Arnham Land. (Below is the three main regions mapped).

Art of the Kimberley

Distinctive Style Characteristics are Large blocks of colour, Shapes outlined with white dots, Restricted palette, consisting of rich ochre tones with natural pigments. This style is most commonly associated with artists from North West Australia such as Paddy Bedford and Rover Thomas. (Below) Example of the Kimberley Region Style.

The Desert Region

Distinctive Style Characteristics: Wide palette. Images comprised of dots and circles. Acrylic on canvas.

This style propelled Indiginous art in Australia by making the ‘Dot art’ movement, and is most commonly associated with artists from Utopia, the Central Desert and the Western Desert. (Below) Example of the Desert Region style.

Arnham Land

Distinctive Style Characteristics: Restricted palette and natural pigments on bark. Cross-hatching or rark. This style is often derived from the meanings associated with the chest paintings used in sacred ceremonies. The paint used by artists often originated from sacred sites. (Below) Example of the Arnham Land style.

Interesting Links:

• http://www.artofthekimberley.com/ (Kimberley region)

Flinders University City Gallery

Located downstairs at the back of the State Library of Adelaide. This exhibition space aims to showcase the work of contemporary South Australian artists, as well as host exhibitions from the National Touring Network.

Now Showing:



Spirit in the Land
27th August - 23 October

The Landscape has been an enduring subject in the history of Australian art and vital to the on-going formation of images of a national identity. Within this tradition Spirit of the Land explores the connection between australian artists, historical and contemporary, Indigenous and non-Indiginous.[1]

Although the exhibition portrayed how different artists view the Australian land and their own experieces of living and being in the country, as a whole it seemed very 'one point of viewed'. Spirit of the land only represented only the outback land of Australia, not quite giving an accurate view of the entirety of Australia as a whole (aka not representing an suburban areas). It was difficult to use five words to describe it, because of its similarities. Brown, Dry, Abstract, Dark and Abandoned. All pieces represented Australia as a wasteland almost, arid and dangerous. On the positive point, there were some very interesting pieces, such as the piece above by Rosalie Gascoigne, titled 'Vintage'. This artwork was made of reflective road signs which were strategically placed onto plywood. Two of my favourite pieces in the gallery was Lin Onus's 'Jimmys Billabong' and Dorothy Napangardi's 'Mina Mina'. 


Lin Onus's piece 'Jimmy's Billabong' (below) has a very clear meaning for myself, in that the Australian environment is sacred land, basically. he uses tradition images from European and Aboriginal worlds to reflect the dilemmas and aspirations of Aboriginal people living in a predominantly non-Aboriginal society. The painting represents a barrier between the two societies, which is there, even if we don't want to admit it.

Dorothy Napangardi's 'Sandhills of Mina Mina' (below), 2000, is done on a huge canvas and was the stand out piece for me at this exhibition. She uses a fine variety of dot work in white on a plain black background to create an abstract painting which comes alive, from far away or close-up.

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[1] Art Guide Australia

http://www.artguide.com.au/exhibition/spirit-in-the-land-/ (accessed 8^th September)

Samson & Delilah

Written and Directed by Warwick Thornton, Samson & Delilah is a film about two teenagers in a remote settlement outside of Alice Springs. The movie is advertised as a love story, leading audiences to believe that the film will give them a feel good experience. This is not the case, as you notice after several minutes. The story is told in a very unique way, with not much dialogue at all, the main two character hardly even speak, mainly communicating with each other through noises, gestures and throwing rocks or clumps of dirt. This results in the movie feeling like it goes for 4 hours. The film demands that you need to slow your pulse beat to adapt to listless rhythms, which govern the community’s routines.

The film has a very ‘real’ nature, with the two main characters being played by two inexperienced 14 year old actors who also grew up in remote communities similar to their characters. Delilah takes care of her grandmother, by continuing to make sure he takes her medication and goes to the clinic. Her grandmother is a renowned indigenous artist who lives in poverty as a result of being ripped off by art dealers for her work.  This is an interesting aspect of the film, and makes you wonder if this is really happening in Australia today. Samson lives a lonely life, which revolves around his band, filling th gaps of his life with inhaling petrol and causing trouble in the community.

After Samson gets beaten for hitting one of his brothers in a haze of drugs, and Delilah is beaten and blamed for her grandmother’s death, they run away to Alice Springs. This is were the story twists and the two begin living on the fringe of the city, and are faced with almost every danger of the city, such as boredom, violence, poverty, sexual assault, racism and drugs. They both struggle to survive.

The film is done in a very beautiful way, although the story gives a very grim, raw, look at the challenges that young people face in Aboriginal life in rural Australia. The intense dramatic blows continue throughout the movie, which makes you wonder when its all going to stop. “An inside look at a world rarely, if ever, depicted on the big screen”, Screen International. It is definitely a movie worth watching, to give another perspective of Aboriginal life. The movie takes you to another world, an honest, tender, but tough one.