The
most significant Indigenous art exhibition, of its kind, "World of
Dreamings: Traditional and Contemporary Art of Aboriginal Australia” was
organised at the State Hermitage Museum on 4 February 2000 by Brian Kennedy who
is a director of the National Gallery of Australia (Eniar 2009).Throughout not
only the works of six different artists including Nym Bandak, Fiona Foley,
Emily Kam Kngwarray, John Mawurndjul, Tracey Moffatt, and Rover Thomas but also
two major collaborative works ,”The Aboriginal Memorial”, and a group of
ceremonial sculptures, the exhibition presents the existence of the Indigenous
art in the different historical stages even in the wave of immigration(National
Gallery of Australia 2012). Moreover, the exhibition also “embodies the
realities of Aboriginal Australians living in the modern world: a world that
has undergone great social, political and cultural upheavals since Europeans
colonised the country over two centuries ago” (National Gallery of Australia
2012)
With
different way to express the main idea of exhibition, each artists emphasis
their own style as well as their own focusing aspect. This is also the point
that makes the exhibition become more interesting as it show various aspects in
the Indigenous art. With his works, showing about the Wangkajunka people, Rover
Thomas (1926-1998) focuses on illustrating the tragedies that these indigenous
peoples had to suffer (Hermitage Museum 2011)
Figure 1:
Rover Thomas, 1990, One bullet, natural pigments on canvas, 90 x 180 cm.
Hermitage
Museum (2011) also offers information about art-works of Emily Kame Kngwarreye
(1910-1996) in the exhibition,” being under the influence of Western art still
vividly demonstrates national traditions”.
Figure 2:
Emily Kame Kngwarreye, 1989, Ntange Dreaming 1989, synthetic polymer paint on
canvas, 135 x 122 cm.
For
Nym Bunduk (1904-1981), the stories and the concept about Murin-pata people are
his inspiration. He creates a series of art works, mostly painting on bark,
about this topic. According to information from the website National Gallery of
Australia (2012),” the circumstances in which the paintings by Bandak and the
Wik sculptures were made, involved the active participation of anthropologists
and missionaries.”
Figure 3:
Nym Bunduk, 1959, Map of Murrinhpatha countryside 1, natural pigments on
composition board, 121.8 x 184.2 cm
Figure 4:
John Mawurndjul, 1991, Rainbow Serpent at Kurdjarnngal, natural pigments on
eucalyptus bark, 243 x 80 cm.
The
collision between the traditional Aboriginal culture and the culture of white
colonists is another aspect that is shown in the exhibition through the works
of Fiona Foley (1964). She combines both the natural material and modern
synthetic paints even using metals to display her following idea( Hermitage
Museum 2011).
Figure 5:
Fiona Foley, 1986, Annihilation of the Blacks wood, synthetic polymer paint,
feathers, hair, rope;height 210 cm
The
main subject of work of Tracey Moffatt (1960), the producer and photographer,
is defining the identity in a multicultural society. All of the work of Moffatt
are favoured by many people( National Gallery of Australia 2012)
Figure 6:
Tracey Moffatt, 1989, Something more, A series of nine direct positive colour
photographs, Each 100.6 x 127 cm
The
most magnificent art-work which attracts the attention of many people in the
exhibition is the set of painted hollow log coffins which is known with the
name “The Aboriginal Memorial”. This art-work is the contribution of 43
different artists from Ramingining.” They reconstruct the image of the Glyde
River in the Arnhem Land. 200 hollow log coffins with different painted images
on them are placed along the river. This is the bone- burial ceremonies of
people in the Arnhem Land. According to Philp(2007, p. 1),” it represents 'a
forest of souls, a war cemetery and the funeral rites for all indigenous
Australians who have been denied a proper burial”. Through this art work, “The
Aboriginal Memorial”, artists want to show and emphasis the existence as well as
the survival of Aboriginal culture although they had to suffer 200 years of being
oppressive by European in Australia(Russell &Winkworth 2010). In addition,
this memorial also predict the changing in Australian society,” from an
intolerant and racist past to an egalitarian and just future”( Russell
&Winkworth 2010).
Figure 7:
Ramingining Artists,1987-1988, The Aboriginal Memorial, Natural pigments on
wood, 327.0cm.
The
exhibition was received many positive responses from both organisers and
public. On one hand, Brian Kennedy, director of the National Gallery of
Australia, comment on the exhibition “World of Dreamings: Traditional and
Contemporary Art of Aboriginal Australia” as the best exhibition of its kind
that has seen in another country, not in Australia (Eniar 2009). On the other
hand, Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the Hermitage, and Aboriginal art,
eloquently states in front of the large crowd of many people including
journalists, photographers, local artists even members of the public, that this
exhibition plays an important role in promoting to people in other countries
who know or unknown about the Aboriginal art because it “represents one of the
most important sections of art in the 20th century"(Eniar 2009). By
opening this exhibition, artists make a valuable chance for everybody to see
and to learn about the beauty of the art form that stands within most important
contemporary arts. All the art-works, in particular, the art-work “The
Aboriginal Memorial” attracts attention of all people at with the not only
impressive but also mystery appearance. They stimulate people to find out their
meaning as well as their stories which they are hiding. I feel sorry for myself
because I lost the chance to see these magnificent art-works in the real life.
References:
Eniar
2009, Exhibition brings Aboriginal art to
St Petersburg, Europe, viewed 15 August 2012, <http://www.eniar.org/news/Hermitage.html>
Hermitage Museum 2011, World of Dreamings. Traditional and Modern
Art of Australia, viewed 15 August 2012,< http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/04/b2003/hm4_1w.html>
National
Gallery of Australia 2012, The Aboriginal
Memorial, viewed 15 August 2012,< http://nga.gov.au/AboriginalMemorial/home.cfm>
National
Gallery of Australia 2012, World of
Dreamings: Traditional and modern art of Australia, viewed 15 August
2012,< http://nga.gov.au/dreaming/Index.cfm?Refrnc=Ch1>
Russell,
R & Winkworth , K 2010, A guide to
assessing the significance of collections, Case studies of national
significance , Australian Government, viewed 15 August 2012
Image Sources:
