Currently the Museum of Contemporary Art has two exhibitions that focus on indigenous issues in art: Fiona Foley – Forbidden and Almanac, the gift of Ann Lewis OA.
Fiona Foley is an indigenous artist and a political artist. Almanac, in contrast, presents the work of indigenous artists from the Central and Western Deserts and the Lockhart River who represent their landscape and their stories through their art. All works represent aspects of ‘belonging’ in terms of the Area of Study, but the perspectives are very different.
Fiona Foley’s Native Blood, Modern Nomad and Badjtala Woman use appropriation – ninteenth century photographs, Manet’s ‘Olympia’ and Gauguin’s Taihiti paintings – to represent and comment on the white understanding of the native populations, their culture and their integrity. By placing herself into these works she makes a contemporary comment through the use of appropriation.
Works such as ‘Stud Gins’ and ‘Black Velvet’ use euphemism to comment on the nature of relations between indigenous women and the white settlers. ‘Stud Gins’ uses a single word on each of seven blankets. The blankets symbolise the nature of trade (and value) between white settlers and the aboriginal population. That the blankets often carried disease, clearly represents the settlers’ contemptuous attitudes to the native population. Individually each word on each blanket is powerful. Read in sequence they cumulate to provide a damning representation of the abuse of native women. The title, ‘Stud Gins’ euphemistically comments on the abuse of power and sex in settle/aboriginal relations.
By contrast, the work of Emily Kngwarreye (Papunya) in Almanac, ‘Untitled from the Body Painting series, 1996, depicts through the simple and stark use of white line on black background the traditional markings used in ceremonies. Her niece, Gloria Petyarre (Utopia), represents the bush medicine leaves as they move and fall to the ground and dry in ‘Leaves in the Wind’, 1999. Her work is usually monochromatic – two colours. Both works represent a a small yet significant part of indigeneous culture to the viewer. These works express the sense of belonging these women shared as a part of their communities.
Dorothy Napangardi’s Sandhills, 2004, represents through the use of dots and the lines they form, the tracks of her women ancestors as they moved through the sandhills and claypans of Mina Mina, singing and dancing while they gathered. Again, this reflects pride in ancestry and culture and therefore a sense of belonging, one that is shared with the viewer.
The impact of aboriginal art is demonstrated in two works by Ildako Kovacs, a non-indigenous artist, who is also represented in the collection: ‘Lulu’ and ‘Serpentine’. These abstracts are clearly influenced by the style and techniques of indigenous art and by reflecting this clearly show the deep respect she has for the work of women like Kngwarreye and Petyarre who are exhibited in the same room.
Although there are more works in the exhibition, these three indigenous artists depict aspects of indigenous lifestyle and culture that is a part of their ‘belonging’.
These works and others would work well with Rabbit Proof Fence, for example, as related material. Examining a few works in an exhibition and researching some context for the artist and the work would give you background to an examination of the work as a visual text.
