The National Aboriginal Art Award
The Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Sept 5-October 2
Reviewed by Deb Sorensen
Submissions are received from throughout Australia for this annual event staged by the NT Museum and Art Gallery. Unfortunately, this exhibition is not touring. However, there are plans to tour entrants in next year's award.
It's a shame only a relatively small number of people will see this exhibition. Together the pieces submitted are a vibrant portrait of traditional and contemporary Aboriginal culture in Australia. It's obvious from viewing this collection how central art is to that culture.
The art is not elitist nor for the enjoyment of only a few. Where once it was, and in some parts still is, an expression of the issues of the day on bark and on rock, today the art in this exhibition is still bringing important issues to a wider audience. More ancient subject matter, such as what is on the menu — delicacies like honey ants and barramundi — rub shoulders with issues of concern to Aboriginal people in this society.
The exhibition is testament not only to the durability of ancient art forms but also to the flexibility of the culture in incorporating different influences.
The pieces range from the traditional Aboriginal styles, in the rich ochres, browns and reds of the earth, to traditional styles influenced by European art and classical European styles influenced by traditional Aboriginal art.
One piece which must have niggled any ATSIC official browsing round was a painting by Vincent Serico from Armidale in NSW. Titled simply ATSIC, from a distance it seemed to be praising that organisation. On closer inspection, however, it is quite a stinging indictment.
In his accompanying notes, Serico explains that he painted the piece after seeing a television program in which two high-profile Aboriginal spokespeople — Lois O'Donoghue and Charles Perkins — were arguing about leadership and money. He has painted them with boxing gloves around their necks. He says they appeared to have lost sight of their people, many of whom still endure Third World conditions.
Serico also says that the budget promised by Graham Richardson, who did his best to go out with a compassionate image, is little more than "rolls of toilet paper".
The painting shows ATSIC "bureaucrats" driving straight past Aboriginal reserves they were supposed to be visiting to gauge conditions. While indicting some leaders, the painting also holds one in high standing. Serico has painted Paul Keating with a land rights beanie on, with a wheelbarrow filled with water taps. Perhaps this is where the political analysis falls down a bit. Surely Keating is fairly up on how ATSIC money is spent?
Another very striking painting by Victorian artist Ray Thomas is titled Poisoned Flour and is about one of the methods used by early settlers and pastoralists to kill off the Aboriginal people in order to steal their lands. This is a painting in the classical European style and scenery of Australian bush made famous by artists such as Ben McCubbin. On either side of the painting is a much darker strip in which you can make out an Aboriginal figure in degrees of agony, dying after eating the flour.
The winner of the main prize was Fitzroy Crossing artist Daisy Andrews with her Lumpa Lumpa — a very atmospheric painting contrasting the stark blue of the sky against the red of the earth. This contrast, along with the accompanying haze brought on by the heat, will mean a lot to those who have visited or who live in the northern parts of the country.
If you can catch the exhibition in its last week, it is well worth it; otherwise we can look forward to 1995's collection.