Thursday 27th October

Conclusion

Throughout my life I have always been blessed to live a culturally rich life that has been enhanced and influenced by many different influences. I have always been of the strong belief that ignorance breads misunderstanding and is the key ingredient that breads fear, which in turn breads racism and discrimination. Although I consider myself as open-minded, sadly I have not been as proactive in my own education in relation to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander cultures and history. This course in Indigenous Art, Culture and Design has opened my eyes to a whole world of information I was ignorant to and helped me to think more critically about my responses and more actively research our great countries history. If we stop and think about basic human nature, generally as human beings we are all afraid of the unknown and I did not truly appreciate how little I knew about our Indigenous culture and that to some extent I had some preconceived ideas of Aboriginal people. I had no idea of the diversity of the various Aboriginal societies across Australia and how they vary greatly, yet still share similar social structures and have systems in place that govern life and influence their experience and clarify their place in the universe. The more I have come to understand about Aboriginal culture the greater my understanding of the community spirit that governs its people and the deeper my realization of how deeply their art is rooted in not only Indigenous history, but everyday contemporary Aboriginal life.

Undeniably it is important to know where we are going and have direction for the future, not only as individuals, but also society as a whole. However, I have learnt it is no less important to know where we have been and from where we have come. Therefore gaining a greater knowledge and understanding of our cultural heritage, our history, is imperative in order to understand our success and failures as a nation, so as not to make the same mistakes in the future. In conclusion, education fosters understanding which inturn supports a true understanding that if we can embrace the belief in change and evolution, let go of our mistakes and the emotional issues of our past, then there is light at the end of the tunnel. In my opinion, it is as much about letting go of our painful history, but without forgetting the important lessons we have learned so that as a society and a cultural whole we can triumph and overcome adversity in order to move forward together in a better direction for a brighter tomorrow.

Saturday 15th October



The Yuendumu School Doors

The South Australian Museum proudly boasts that it contains the most significant collection of Australian Aboriginal material in the world and is intensely involved in and committed to further study and interpretation of various Indigenous cultures along with continuing to build and display the collections of Indigenous cultures of Australasia.

I recently decided to attend the South Australian Museum to re-discover the newly reopened gallery after not having visited in many years. During my visit to the Museum I took time to attend The Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery which derives a great deal from the museums extensive collections which demonstrates innovative and creative ways to survive in one of the most harsh inhabited environments in the world. The gallery is filled with items from various communities around Australia.  It was extremely interesting to explore the remarkable wealth of bark paintings, shields, boomerangs, maps, photographs and the return of the magnificent Yuendumu School Doors which are currently on display which represent one of the first examples of Aboriginal artists who have been able to successfully transfer their ancient cultural tradition of ground paintings to a large scale contemporary medium. Additionally I discovered the Ernabella Arts Exhibition and a weaving workshop which was a delight and very educational and have decided to revisit with my children.

Wednesday 21st September

Tracey Moffatt, from Something more, 1989

Continuing on the theme from my last post, when referring to artists from an Indigenous background do we need to advertise this information by labeling them as Urban Aboriginal artists? Tracey Moffatt was initially part of the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists’ Cooperative and deciding she did not want to be identified purely as an Aboriginal artist, but as an artist in her own rite, moved away from the group to be an independent artist which was a somewhat revolutionary approach. Consequently she did not apply for funding or grants that are available to Aboriginal artists and stopped exhibiting in group exhibitions with other indigenous artists.

Moffatt’s images are carefully crafted, if not meticulously constructed whether discussing her photographs, which have the appearance of a still-shot from a film with a painterly affect which she creates using various film effects, or her filmic ventures. Her images do not claim to be a recreation of reality, but a true measure of artisty. Regardless, Moffatt is nothing less than brilliant and a true pioneer of this type of photography and filmic technique and her images are an authentic representation of a timeless contemporary practice.

As an photographic artist who is interested in using text with images, I particularly like the Scarred for Life series, which presents a series of seemingly ordinary images that are supported with meaningful text which are all based on real life stories told to her by friends. So of the childhood narratives are funny, some boarder on uncomfortable, whilst others are tragic. The stories are universal and there is something about the ordinary everyday appeal to which everyone can relate.

Friday 16th September



Richard Bell – E. Metaphysica Bell’s Theorem (Aboriginal Art It’s a White Thing), 2003

 Historically when most of us, myself included, ponder the appearance of Indigenous art it is the traditional dot paintings, crosshatching or ochre on bark that would usually formulate in our minds. However, contemporary Indigenous art is clearly taking a new direction and being approached with as much diversity as the Indigenous culture and the artists creating the works. Some of the of urban Indigenous artists at the forefront of this movement are the likes of Tracey Moffatt, Sally Morgan, Judy Watson, Destiny Deacon, Vernon Ah Kee and the controversial Richard Bell to mention just a few. However, it would appear that much of the evolution within the Indigenous art movement is due to the many Indigenous artists of the latest generation that are emerging from an educational based background within the arts. Consequently, I believe the appearance and style of much of the traditional Indigenous arts are changing and evolving into a new era of cultural expression and therefore making it more accessible to the general public.

The evolution of Urban Aboriginal art began through the 1960 and has advanced at the same time as the phenomenal growth of more traditional Aboriginal art pursuits in the more remote areas. Urban Aboriginal artists have forged ahead using this art as a powerful forum for political expression and social commentary experimenting with various methods of expression from drawing, painting, printmaking and digital mediums such as photography and video. However, the journey for many Urban Aboriginal artists has been a battle against the typical stereotyping of what traditionally constitutes as Aboriginal art that is considered more authentic. It would be unfortunate if the strong attraction to traditional Aboriginal artworks detracted from the positive reception of contemporary Aboriginal artists who in their own right are authentic even use a less traditional approach or different media.

In lecture and tutorials on Wednesday14th September an interesting topic was raised..."What does it mean to be an Urban Aboriginal Artist?" Is this label loaded with its own connotations? Does it imply the creators of this type of art only come from the city, or that they are not bush people, or perhaps that the artists are not fully aboriginal and not producing authentic aboriginal art? Does it raise more questions than answers, create more labels and magnify the separation between white Australians and those of an Indigenous background, whether traditional or contemporary. As individuals and a nation who are desperately trying to reconcile our history and future directions, when referring to a modern art movement wouldn’t we be better to use an all encompassing phrase that is more inclusive of all modern Australian artists, such as "Contemporary Australian Art"? If we remove the labels….what do we have left? Just Art!

Wednesday 14th September

Flinders University - Art Museum & City Gallery is an accessible visual arts based cultural facility that serves the University and the community at large through exhibition, research and outreach.



Throughout the history of Australian Art our connection and engagement to the landscape has been a vital component of our national identity. The Spirit in the Land exhibition which was developed by McClelland Gallery+Sculpture Park, has brought together eleven Australian artists to explore this spiritual connection revealing shared subject matter and cultural connections. The exhibition delves into the power of the land and our appreciation of it through contemporary and historical works presented by some of Australia’s most significant artists, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, such as: Fred Williams, Rover Thomas, Sidney Nolan, Lorraine Connelly-Northey, John Davis, Russell Drysdale, John Olsen, Rosalie Gascoigne, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Dorothy Napangardi, Lin Onus. 
 

Russell Drysdale - The crow trap 1941
oil on fibro-cement panel
Newcastle Region Art Gallery
Gift of Dr Roland Pope, 1945



Beck Graeber and I attended the Flinders Gallery in the South Australian Library today to survey the current exhibition, Spirit in the Land. We were both particularly fond of the works of Dorothy Napangardi, in particular the Sandhills of Mina Mina, 2000. The muted earthy colours within the works added to their organic allure and had the impression of real depth and movement reminiscent of the landscape she was representing. Her paintings had a real aesthetic appeal and were pleasing to the eye. Additionally I was very drawn to the more contemporary works of Lin Onus whose style is reminicent of European contemporary painting, yet with a magnificent combination of the cross-hatching style for which Arnhem Land is famous. 

Tuesday 6th September



Yolngu Boy

Yolngu Boy, which was released on 15 March 2001 and directed by Stephen Johnson is a film about three young teenage boys who have shared a dream since childhood of becoming great hunters. However it seems they are caught between the traditions of old and a new world of football and rap with a definite need for street smarts, which gives rise to a doctrine all its own. The dreams seems ever elusive as each of the boys seems to be drawn in opposite directions; one boy seems more interested in football and girls than he is of learning the traditions of his culture, while another is a lost soul who is walking a fine line to the wild side in search of a place. Their paths are deviating from their initial plan, but only one of the boys can see it and now seems to be the only one to care about their dream. Essentially it is a heartfelt film that delves into the concept of each individual needing to find their own path and their own personal journey along with exploring the important bonds of their friendship. It was an enjoyable film that can be appreciated by anyone who has ever had to make choices and treasured friendships.

Wednesday 31st August



Nana - Bit of Black Business DVD


Bit of Black Business is a DVD with a collection of a series of short films which are written and or directed by various Aboriginal artists. The narratives ranged from more serious content such as the heartache of being ripped away from family and the emotional experience endured right  through to extremely humourous stories that explored the lighter side of life and the human condition without a specific focus on the subject Aboriginality. Regardless of the content of each story, whether humorous or those on a more serious note, there was always a moral to the story which is often seems to be the case.

Nana would clearly be one of my favourites and is an endearing documentary style film from a childs perspective and reveals a young child discussing her relationship with her grandmother and describes how the old woman cares for her and their family, along with the community. The story is delivered with a real sensibility that marks a clear sign of respect held by the child toward her grandmother and subtly sings the real-life praises of such aboriginal women and their influence on Indigenous communities. Director Warwick Thornton has a distinctive and refreshing approach to writting and directing which is delivered with a real humour, warmth and genuine compassion that in my opinion is appealing to a wide audience. I have greatly enjoyed all of the films he has directed.

Saturday 27th August

Samson and Delilah

Film Review – Samson and Delilah

 

Throughout the film there seems to be the fundamental message of a misrepresented and misunderstood culture. On the one hand they are depicted as a community capable of producing complex and beautiful artworks that represent their ancient culture, whilst on the other they are portrayed as lazy, drunken welfare bums. It is a film about emotional and physical survival, which explores the pretence that life is not always fair and can often be isolating.

Sampson and Delilah is an extremely confronting, yet honest depiction of a remote Indigenous Community in the Northern Territory of the Australian desert. It communicates the story of silent love between two indigenous teenagers and their evolving relationship. Sampson is a bored petrol-sniffing teenager, whilst Delilah is an extremely creative and talented young women trying to learn the traditional ways of her ancestors from her grandmother. Sadly Delilah also falls victim to bad choices and begins sniffing petrol. The change in her is well represented in the variance between her paintings when she is the happy and healthy loving granddaughter where her works are reminiscent or her grandmother’s methods, to when she is sniffing petrol. These works display a sombre, foreboding mood compared to her earlier paintings and reflect the confronting truth of where she is headed.

Monday 22nd August




Movie - !0 Canoes

 

The film title Ten Canoes came up a few times in class, then after reading some good reviews and being told by a few people that the film was definitely worth watching, decided to give it a go. Initially I thought the film was a documentary and was not thrilled at the prospect of viewing it. However, what I discovered instead, was a deeply human and legendary Aborigine folk tale, which combined anthropology, adventure and comedy to deliver its message. It was hilariously funny, but had a moral to the story with which everyone can relate.

Ten Canoes is based on an ancient story of a commune of Aboriginal people in and around the wetlands of central Arnhem Land centuries before European settlement. In part, the film was motivated by a photograph taken by legendary anthropologist David Thompson on one of his exhibitions during 1936-37 of the Yolgnu people to document their traditional ways. The photograph illustrates a group of 10 naked men standing in 10 canoes making their way through thick swamp land hunting for goose eggs. The film goes on to tell the tale of a young man who coverts the youngest wife of his brother who is an elder. During this hunt the elder tells his younger brother needs to be taught a lesson of a similar story of their ancestors and how the situation was handled in order to avoid tribal law being broken. The film moves easily between colour and black and white to represent the two time periods, being ten thousand years ago and many hundreds of years ago. The rich story-telling and beautiful landscape are luminous and humbling.

In one report I read by the Sydney Morning Herald,  Byrnes reports: “Part of the reason that black culture remains so mysterious to white Australia is that we have no place within it, no vantage point. We're shut out, often with that sullen stubbornness that Aboriginal Australia has used for more than 200 years as the final - sometimes the only - form of resistance….Ten Canoes is de Heer's attempt to get closer to traditional culture, and make a film that's a real collaboration, based on respect. I don't know what it took to achieve, but there's never been an Australian film quite like it. It's as if the people of Ramingining decided to give us all a gift, by letting us inside. We get a vantage point and the impact is extraordinary.”

Friday 19th August



Art Gallery of South Australia



Beck Graeber and I visited the Art Gallery of South Australia today to see the SAATCHI Gallery in Adelaide exhibition. There were certainly a few works in the SAATCHI exhibition that I felt were rather interesting and held value, but also others that would seem to be "art for art sake". Definitely not my cup of tea! Initially it was our intention to visit the new space specifically designated for Aboriginal art on display in the main gallery, which was previously reserved for European and Colonial Australian art. Sadly, up until more recent times most Aboriginal art would have been considered a form of primitive art and considered valuable in a historic sense for anthropological reasons, rather than being considered apt for the genre of fine art. Unfortunately we spent longer than expected viewing the SAATCHI exhibition and had minimal time to view the Indigenous works at the Art Gallery of SA. Additionally we missed attending the museum due to time constraints, which was disappointing, as sadly I have not been for years. Beck and I plan to go again and possibly take the children along for some cultural education next time.

Saturday 13th August

Visit to A.P Bond Gallery (139 Gallery)

- Robert Fielding and Betty Pumani



Robert Fielding - "Tree Of Life" 76cm X 51cm



Robert Fielding’s paintings, although simple had rather intricate detail with many layers of colours and patterns with a great deal of depth and texture. The paintings were very organic, composed with a series of swirls in various muted, earthy colours, some darker colours were layered with dots ranging from dark to mid-tones, then lighter colours, then an additional layer of dots in an off white. The paintings had a real impression of depth with a definite sense of movement within the images, which was very captivating. However, only when you stood back from the works did you feel their full impact. Although I am not generally one who is drawn to the traditional dot paintings, these works really impressed me.

Betty Pumani is Pitjantjatjara artist who has created a series of fun and colourful works, including both modern and tradtional aspects, representing the country of her Mother's tjukurrpa, which is connected with an individuals "dreaming"or ancestral descendants. Each person has a different tjukurrpa with a different story and meaning. Pumani’s paintings, although extremely vibrant and colourful, were composed mostly from a mix of muted tones in blue, green, purple, salmon, pink, etc. However in a couple of the paintings there were areas where the yellows and oranges had an almost fluorescent appearance that was hard to look at for any length of time, not my cup-of-tea. However, for the most part, I enjoyed the exhibition, which from my research is quite different to most traditional western desert dot paintings. Like Fielding’s works, the further you moved away, these paintings had a three dimensional quality with an organic appeal, but were not as refined in their delivery. In these paintings the lines and dots were blurred, overlaid and flowed into one another, giving a more abstract appearance.



Betty Kuntiwa Pumani - Antara"



Sunday 7th August

Tandanya Foyer

Visit to Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute INC

Peter Sharrock ‘Believe’
Burthurmar Christopher Crebbin ‘Eleven’
Sophie Abbott ‘We are Young Women of this Land’

Prior to commencing art school I had never visited Tandanya, although I am becoming a more frequent visitor, particularly since studying Australian Art, Craft and Design last year. Tandanya is to this day the oldest Aboriginal owned and managed cultural arts centre with a reputation for being innovative and excelling in excellence and is renowned for being a place of great vision. Visitors to the centre are very mush encouraged to experience, explore and emerse themselves in contemporary as well as traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and art. The centre regularly features acclaimed and emerging artists from indigenous backgrounds from all around Australia, exploring their stories of cultural expression through both performance and visual arts. 



Peter Sharrock - "The Mark" (H) 80cm X (W) 80cm X (D) 11cm



As always I am impressed by the variety of the work on display and this latest exhibition was no exception. The Believe exhibition by Peter Sharrock was clearly a thought-provoking narrative of the collective human experience, encouraging us all to seize and celebrate the little moments of every day life. The premise for these works examines the choice and consequences that face us all, those moments in life where we may get knocked down and feel despondent, but still embrace our ability to pick ourselves back up, embracing our true strength of character. For me, not only do the works have an original sculptural element, but embrace a ‘connected-ness’ to our environment with their organic, earthy quality. In addition to their aesthetic appeal the works are further supported by insightful pieces of poetry written by Sharrock, which are illuminated with the message of hope for a nation that is desperately trying to reconcile our history and future directions.



Christoper Crebbin with some of his works at Tandanya



Christopher Crebbin’s also known as Burthumarr (his Aboriginal name), appropriately named his latest exhibition Eleven as a salute to the eleventh year of this century and the culmination of his own experience of eleven years of painting and solo exhibitions. Not unlike Sharrock’s work, this exhibition rang with a decernable message of hope and display’s the artist’s deep connection with the land. Although the premise of the exhibition began as a protest it resolves itself with a sentiment of peace and devotion and embodies the essence of balance in all things, "The black and the white, the Ying and the Yang" (BCC). In relation to our environment and our history, Crebbin states, "time has a way of healing" which I believe indicates it is possible we just may be able to salvage our beloved environment and ourselves as a society if we take ownership of our behaviour and initiate action now.

One particular paintings I was drawn to was "Story Journey" - acrylic on canvas. It was a pure image with simple composition which rang with sincerity, it portrayed deep blue waters beneath a grey sky. However upon looking more closely and depending on where you as the viewer was positioned, there was a slightly concealed moon or possibly sun coming through, suggesting something more. After viewing Crebbins works, I have to agree with the review on Crebbins work by ArtsHub (6^th August 2011) who suggest, "The ocean is also strongly present in Buthurmarr’s paintings, and the vibrancy of the blues which he uses to depict the water is breath taking".



Sophie Abbott - "We Are The Young Women Of This Land"



Photographer Sophie Abbott was the other artist exhibiting with Sharrock and Crebbin whose images illuminated the same message of hope as the other two previously mentioned artists. It is a powerful and inspiring exhibition featuring indigenous women, each of who in their own right are leaders and outstanding role models for the Aboriginal community and displays the connection between the traditional Aboriginal culture, and their contemporary lives. "We Are The Young Women Of This Land" is an initiative by the Women's Health Statewide and is being promoted by Tandanya as an "exhibition of cultural, contemporary and social significance". A photographic artist myself, I was very drawn to the strong sense of narrative within Abbott’s photographs where she has shot two contasting images of each woman. One photograph is taken in a studio setting with the women adorned in traditional clothing and painted faces, the other is on location in a landscape setting with the women dressed in formal attire appearing as though they have been prepared for a studio sitting. All of the images are supported by an inspiring statement from each woman who generally spoke of being strong, confident, proud, ambitious and determined to overcome life’s obstacles. , sending a positive message.

"A few years ago I felt a strong motivation to photograph Aboriginal women, to capture their spirit, beauty and strength. My aim was to show the general public what is rarely sees and to inspire young Aboriginal women from communities across South Australia to achieve their dreams" - Sophie Abbott - Artist and Photographer



Sophie Abbott - "We Are The Young Woman Of This Land"

 

Friday 29th July



Rabbit Proof Fence



Film Review – Rabbit Proof Fence 2002, video recording, Director Phillip Noyce

 

To begin my immersion into Indigenous culture I have decided to watch the well renowned film, Rabbit Proof Fence. It is a tragic tale of three very young indigenous girls Molly and Daisy who are sisters along with their cousin Gracie. The three girls are cruelly ripped from their mothers’ arms and taken from their home in Jigalong, to be placed in remote settlement at Moore River, which is essentially a training facility far from their home. The Moore River facility was part of the Government’s initiative to assimilate those of aboriginal background in to white society, furthermore it was an attempt to ‘breed out the black’ and train the Aborigines into the Europeans ‘white’ ways.

The three girls find themselves in a very foreign world from what are used to, far from home they are forced to concede and adopt the ‘white’ mans ways, in order to avoid being thrown into solitary confinement, in what essentially looks like an old out-house. Bravely, Molly the eldest of the three girls, decides they will attempt the impossible and attempt a daring escape to return to their mothers. They must journey over 1500 miles along the rabbit –proof fence to find the way home, across a less than forgiving terrain with nothing but their wits and determination. It is an inspiring story about the strength of the human spirit and overcoming adversity in-spite of the odds stacked against you.

What makes this tale so terribly shocking is that it is a true story, which I did not realise until the end of the film. Another fact is that this practice was only abolished in 1970, three years before a friend of mine who is of Aboriginal decent was born. Additionally, I am a mother Who has spent the last six years in Family Court fighting for the rights of my children’s safety. I cannot imagine the torment of having my children snatched away from me with no legitimate rights of my own, or recourse to fight for them and their safety.



Daisy Kadibil talks about her escape along the rabbit-proof fence, 2009

Daisy Kadibil was a small child when she was taken away from her family as part of the Stolen Generations. She and her sisters, Molly and Gracie, used the rabbit-proof fence to find their way back home to Jigalong from Moore River Native Settlement north of Perth, a journey of about 1600 kilometres. Molly’s daughter, Doris Pilkington (Nugi Garimara), wrote Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence (1996) after several years of interviewing her mother and Aunt Daisy. The book was later made into Phillip Noyce’s award-winning film Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002).

Type C print from large format Polaroid Type 665
Comment by subject
Parnngurr, Western Australia



Wednesday 27th July

Being that I am a more mature student, Indigenous Studies were either minimal or not a part of the curriculum when I attended school. As a consequence, prior to the commencement of this course my exposure and knowledge in relation to Indigenous art, culture and design has been limited. Although we did touch on this subject briefly throughout the course Australian Art, Craft and Design, the focus of the essays I chose were elsewhere. I have friends of many and varied backgrounds including indigenous, but sadly have never thought to talk about their cultural roots, as it was never really encouraged, even though it is part of our history. Yet oddly, I have friends from various African backgrounds and am quite educated with their plight and historical background.

Therefore, in order to gain the most from this course I believe it is essential to become emersed as possible within the Indigenous culture during this semester. I will endeavour to read as many articles as possible in relation to the indigenous culture on varying matters, along with attending exhibitions and viewing films such as Sampson and Delilah, Yolngu Boy, and Rabbit Proof Fence. It is my intention to learn as much as possible and develop a deeper understanding of traditional Indigenous art, history and the indigenous culture as a whole.