Week 4

Lin Onus

This week our reading was an article on Aboriginal artist Lin Onus, who is one of the most stand out aboriginal artists i have seen so far. He uses such vibrant colours and urban techniques in comparison to other Aboriginal artists, with a lot of detail and contemporary meaning behind his work. We were asked if we thought his work was about loss or reinvention. Most of the class agreed that his work was a combination of both, but mostly about our reconciliation of our cultures and living together as Australians, such as 'Fruit Bats' (pictured further down in this blog), which portrays this perfectly. His work is interesting because it speaks about how he lost his chance to learn first hand about his culture, but he put effort in to find people who would teach him and now through reinvention of traditional styles and methods, Onus produces artwork which has the same cultural meanings as traditional works, with a contemporary urban spin.

(Above) Ginger and my third wife approach the roundabout, 1994, synthetic polymer paint on Belgian Linen (now showing in the touring exhibition ‘Spirit of the Land’)

Lin Onus was born of the Yorta Yorta people in 1948, and died in 1996.

Lin Onus combined urban with traditional aboriginal art, he liked to challenge the Eurocentric view of history and in its place provide an alternative vision, an alternative history. When criticized for mixing traditional and urban iconography inappropriately he refuted the notion of ‘appropriation’ insisting that it was based on the false premise that Aboriginal art is a traditional form that should remain static, and fixed in time, in order to remain pure. Mixing politics with art was always apart of Lin Onus’s work, by using a successful mix of humor and political views. In the Dingo series (pictured below), Onus portrays the natural characteristics of the animal and its treatment since European settlement.  The depiction of harmless animal behavior is contrasted by the intervention of ‘Trap’ (on the far right side of the picture below, and larger in black & white).

(Above) Dingo Series, 1989 (synthetic polymer paint on fiberglass, wire, metal)

Onus successfully combined urban and traditional aboriginal art, with his varied mediums and techniques. His installation Fruit Bats, 1991, (pictured below) consisting of a Hills Hoist carrying a multitude of fiberglass bats painted with rarrk, a ceremonial Arhnem Land crosshatch design. Highlighting that everywhere in Australia, if you look hard enough, you can see Australias caborignal culture. Onus, was imparting his knowledge that, beyond the immediately apparent there is another dimension, a Dreaming reality that anyone can become aware of if only they open their eyes and their minds to its presence.

Onus's work doesnt only refer to the historical encounter between 'blacks and whites', but also refers to local aboriginal politics between aboriginal people themselves. During his final years he was the most visible of all Aboriginal artists in his many roles which included being Chairman of the Aboriginal Arts Board of the Australia Council, a founding member of the artist’s copyright agency Viscopy and an eloquent speaker enlisted by peak arts bodies to act as a spokesman at the National Press Club and other prestigious gatherings. Above all, Lin Onus was an artist who made ‘no distinction between the political and the beautiful’. His contribution changed forever the perceptions about the nature of Aboriginal Art, and put urban Aboriginal art onto the Australian cultural map.

Reflective Paper

Assessment 1(Reflective Paper): Rabbit Proof Fence

Rabbit Proof fence is an Australian made film by director Philip Noyce and tells the story of three aboriginal girls Molly, Daisy and Gracie, who escape from an Aboriginal Institute, coinciding with the Australian western society during the Stolen generation Period. The film is based on the book ‘Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence’, which is inspired by true events and is written by Doris Pilkington, daughter of the main character Molly. The three aboriginal girls are taken from their community and are relocated to the Moore River Native Settlement. When they arrive they are united with other aboriginal children who like them have been taken, as part of the ‘Stolen Generation’ because of their mixed blood status (half white and half Aboriginal), known as ‘half-castes’. The story tells of their escape from the settlement and the journey to return to their family by following the Rabbit-Proof Fence that stretches over 1000 miles through the Australian Arid lands. I chose this film for my reflective paper because it gives an introduction into Australian History, through the eyes of the Aboriginal people and attempts to address the political, intellectual and cultural issues surrounding this time. The film also explores the relationship between the aborigines and the invading settlers and explains why half-caste Aboriginals were taken from their families as part of the ‘Stolen Generation’ and gives an insight into the lives and feelings of both aboriginal and non-aboriginal people of the time.

The ‘Stolen Generation’ consisted of children of Australian Aboriginal descent who suffered the destruction of identity, family life and culture because they were removed from their families by the Australian and State governments. These children were separated from their families during the period between 1910 and 1970.[1] The belief was that the children could be absorbed into white Australia by giving up their cultural heritage, and in time even their biological characteristic such as physical features and skin colour in successive generations.[2] This was represented in the movie as Mr. A.O Neville, mentions that the half-caste children should be removed from their families for he fears that there will be a ‘racial classification dilemma’ as the half-caste child could “allow a creation of an unwanted third race” and there will be a dispute on whether or not “the colours be encouraged to go back to the blacks” or “advance to the white status and be absorbed in the white population”.[3] He also mentions that half-caste children can be bred into white people and demonstrates how after three generations of marriages with white people there will be no trace of their original origin “the third generation, no trace of origin is apparent… continuing infiltration of white blood finally stamps out the black colour”.[4] Molly, Daisy and Gracie were taken from their family by the police, and along with thousands of other ‘stolen’ children of the era were taught to adapt to western society, by speaking English and brought up to believe in Christianity and abandon their traditional beliefs and culture. Children at the Settlement were also taught to believe that “the Aboriginal culture was evil” And persuaded them through the use of force to never revisit their original way of life and continue on living in western society.[5] The removal of children has become the most well known aspect of the aftermath from the colonisation process, destroying Aboriginal identity by educating Aboriginal children in non-aboriginal home and institutions. This is seen as a ‘deliberate theft’ of Aboriginal cultural identity by removing the children form families and communities and by removing ‘the next generations from their land’.[6] Aboriginal people are still experiencing the shockwaves of trauma from these acts today.

A large feature of this film is the lack of understanding between the Aboriginal people and the whites. A significant barrier to understanding the complexity of aboriginal culture lies in the widespread failure to recognise the diversity of Aboriginal people and their aspirations and demands.[7] As demonstrated in this movie and still today, Aboriginal people have known and understood far more about non-aboriginal people than non-aboriginal people have known about them. Aboriginal people have often deliberately limited the sharing of information about themselves with non-aboriginal people as a means of limiting non-aboriginal control over their lives. [8] After witnessing and researching historical events its understood why this withdrawal has occurred. As the white colonists gradually occupied the land of Indigenous people, their nomadic way of life was seriously eroded. Aboriginals were and still are seen as a ‘stone age’ race, the Aborigines came to rely on our laws and regulations as the structure of their society. Our laws change overnight in parliament with a stroke of a pen, yet Aboriginal laws are in the hearts of their culture and country, which never change. This strong idea of culture, is represented in the film when the three aboriginal girls are forced to fight the forces of the whites with the only weapon they have, culture, without help from the law. The Aboriginal girls are educated through generations of survival skills, tracking, hunting and survival in the bush, in which they would never have made it back to their home without. These qualities were essential throughout the journey, demonstrating the fundamental power of culture.

Although the film portrays the girls making it home, the settlement was not closed down and the actions during the stolen generation era still occurred, as we learn from the film at the end when they mention that Molly was again taken. This shows that neither the white or Aboriginal forces were successful in their actions. The racial struggles still continue up until today over land rights and racial equality. In policy terms, Aboriginal people in Australia have rarely been seen as anything other than a ‘problem to be solved’, Rather then engaging with aboriginal people and working in meaningful partnerships with them. Many stolen generation memoirs are now published in books, plays and films, such as Rabbit-Proof fence, and a National Sorry day was established. These publications continue to create awareness to Australia’s dark past and inspire people to investigate further into racial issues and think about their own lives differently. For Instance, I have watched this movie many times before, but it wasn’t until I did research around the topic on people’s individual stories and Aboriginal culture itself, that I looked past typical stereotypes and inside the word culture. This word has an entirely different meaning for non-aboriginal people such as myself, and from that I believe that we could learn a thing or two from Aboriginal people and their way of life for the better.

References

·       Branagh, K, Rabbit-Proof Fence, DVD, Directed by Philip Noyce (Australia, 2002).

·       GNT People, “Doris Pilkington Garimara Interview”, ABC 2011. http://www.abc.net.au/dimensions/dimensions_people/Transcripts/s888108.htm, (accessed August 15^th)

·       Anne Brewster, “Aboriginal life writing and globalization”, Australian Humanities Review. http://www.australianhumanitiesreview.org/archive/Issue-March-2002/brewster2.html, (accessed August 16^th)

·       Sarah Maddison, Black Politics: Inside the Complexity of Aboriginal Political Culture (Allen & Unwin. 2009)

·       Robert Manne, In Denial: the stolen generations and the right (Issue 1) (Black Inc. 2001)

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[1] Robert Manne, In Denial: the stolen generations and the right (Issue 1) (Black Inc. 2001), pg iii

[2] Anne Brewster, “Aboriginal life writing and globalization”, Australian Humanities Review. http://www.australianhumanitiesreview.org/archive/Issue-March-2002/brewster2.html, (accessed August 16^th)

[3] Branagh, K, Rabbit-Proof Fence, DVD, Directed by Philip Noyce (Australia, 2002)

[4] Branagh, K, Rabbit-Proof Fence, DVD, Directed by Philip Noyce (Australia, 2002)

[5] GNT People, “Doris Pilkington Garimara Interview”, ABC 2011. http://www.abc.net.au/dimensions/dimensions_people/Transcripts/s888108.htm, (accessed August 15^th)

[6] Sarah Maddison, Black Politics: Inside the Complexity of Aboriginal Political Culture (Allen & Unwin. 2009), pg 208.

[7] Sarah Maddison, Black Politics: Inside the Complexity of Aboriginal Political Culture (Allen & Unwin. 2009), pg xxi

[8] Sarah Maddison, Black Politics: Inside the Complexity of Aboriginal Political Culture (Allen & Unwin. 2009), pg xxviii.

Week 3

Destiny Deacon

This weeks readings was an abstract from ‘Twelve Australian photo artists’ and focused on Destiny Deacon, who comments on the urban Aboriginal experience through a range of media including photography. Her work has been described as interpreting contemporary society through a political framework, and we were asked if its necessary for the viewer to be familiar with the political ideas she is referencing in order to appreciate her work. I think yes and no. Like all Aboriginal art and just art in general, normally it is what the viewer sees and what they get out of the piece of work. Unless the artists wants you to feel a certain way, then the viewer needs to be informed of the issues surrounding the piece. Although in Deacons case, most of the pieces you can easily read what she is trying to portray in her imagery, such as the pice below. Portraying White Australians tight grip on the Indigenous community, by her common theme of using dolls throughout her work.

The Armory Show, Destiny Deacon (1997)

Destiny Deacon is one of the most interesting and controversial contemporary Aboringal artists, creating photographs that explore the layers of identity. Through photography Deacon plays a role in developing new modes of Indigenous cultural expression at the same time as exploring and representing something of her own personality. Many of her images seem to portray the struggle to fit in, an anxiety to reconcile conflicting parts of the self.

I really enjoy her work personally, and think its very interesting how she takes everyday objects, dolls, and gives them so much personality and story behind them. And think the pieces reach out to a broad audience on a number of different levels, because the struggle to unite pieces of ourselves to find a place in the world is something we all share.

‘I see myself as rescuing them from the people that would buy them. I’m saving them, adopting them.’ Destiny Deacon comments on her use of dolls within her photographs.

Week 2

Aboriginal Art

This weeks class reading was an extract of 'Aboriginal Art' by Howard Morphy. The topic of discussion was surrounding what is Aboriginal art, religion, dreaming and basically how Aboriginal art differs from Non-Aboriginal art. The following is notes and responses from the class and the readings.

It is important to realise that, to many aboriginal artists, they don't necessarily refer to their paintings as art. They consider the distinctions between art, craft and design and the the divisions between traditional and contemporary art, based on European understandings of art irrelevant. Many Aboriginal artists  work in their chosen fields because the art is part of their culture, beliefs and history and it provides a way to sustain life, both economically as well as culturally and spiritually. This art also reflects the personal and distinctive journeys of the artist. It reflects the values of the culture in which the artists lives and it is often understood only by a limited and informed audience. Visual art is only one way of expressing Aboriginal dreaming. Once done on cave walls, on bodies, and on the ground, it is now painted on bark and canvas as well, often also symbolising dispossession and alienation. 

Many Aboriginal artists in recent decades living in tradition oriented communities have moved away from the iconographic styles of the ceremonial paintings of their ancestors and have embraced abstraction as a form of expressing their culture and religious beliefs, making their work no less authentic than traditional artists.

Aboriginal culture has always been a living and adapting culture, through interacting with Macassan trading, coping with dramatically changing climates and shifts in coastline over many thousands of years as well as the traumatic effects of the past two hundred years of colonisation. The invasion and settlement by Europeans and others in Australia has resulted in trauma and dispossession for most Aboriginal people who survived.

In urban areas, the art is classified as Contemporary Aboriginal Art and a major difference is that the story or symbols depicted and their particular designs are not always handed down the ancestors. Contemporary Aboriginal artists have often, though not always, been separated from their traditional culture, and their painting or other forms of art have enabled them to express their history, culture and spirituality in diverse but uniquely Aboriginal ways.

The use of Repetition was also mentioned within the discussion, and questioned if it was a purely Aboriginal Art technique. This is not the case, as the theme of repetition is used constantly throughout art and represents many things. It brings aesthetic qualities to the work, such as consistency between works, making work easily recognisable, such as Aboriginal art with its many repeated lines and dots. This technique is also used by other other artists within their work, such as Andy Warhol who used repeated imagery a lot of the time. His work interestingly contrast with Aboriginal work, in that Aboriginal work represents their deep culture and its importance, while Warhol's work does the opposite and makes fun of culture by misrepresentation.

Interesting Links:

• http://aboriginalart.com.au/
• http://www.warhol.org/ (Andy warhol Collection)