Art appreciation

Walking into an art gallery, seeing floor to ceiling dot paintings filling the space and next to each a photo of the artist with a short bio about their community and ancestry is a scene so similar to that in the film Samson and Delilah that you cannot help but wonder – are these artists exploited in the same way?

In the film, paintings were exhibited for $20,000, profits which very clearly did not make it back to the artist. Upon entering galleries on our trip with those scenes very clearly in my mind, I was prepared to be cynical. To be honest, I wasn’t even a fan of dot paintings to begin with. I didn’t dislike them; compared to the type of exhibitions I would visit in London and Europe I just never gave Aboriginal art much thought.

The first place we visited didn’t help my preconceptions. We went to Mowanjum, just outside Derby. It is an Aboriginal community known for its artwork and there is a gallery on site. On display with the artwork are the bios of the individual artists, but there was no information about the community. Perhaps it is so famous they think you must know about them already. In any case, we weren’t going to find out since there was a ministerial visit that day and they were busy preparing for it.

Along the journey, it turns out, we were influenced by art in many ways, both directly and indirectly. Mainly, you are constantly surrounded by beauty of the landscape. This is the foundation, or palette if you wish, of everything in the Kimberleys. Nature is the ruling force. So when you come across a rock painting, your mind does wonder how it has been able to remain without being subject to the harsh floods that wipe out the land. There is also a fair bit of ‘new’ rock paintings, so my untrained eye was again the sceptic.

It’s impossible not to be inspired by the landscape. For that reason, many artists are drawn to the Kimberleys, broadening the style of art produced in the area. One such place is the Zebra Rock Gallery in Kununurra. Using a rock only found in one part of the Kimberleys, artists create anything from jewellery to sculpted objects. All artists live on the grounds, owned by Bruce and Dianne who bought the gallery a couple years ago. The gallery is still taking shape, but is filled with many pieces, the most beautiful being those crafted along the natural lines of the rock. It’s a worthwhile visit to see the riverside setting, talk with Bruce and Dianne, and witness a relatively young gallery and artists’ community taking shape.

Last stop Darwin, I was ready to wash off the road trip and relax in manmade comforts. Part of the hotel was an Indigenous gallery that came highly recommended. We popped in for a look and were greeted by a person more than happy to tell us about the artwork, the artists and Darwin. The gallery had books that showed in great detail the process of making bark paintings and baskets, along with the paints and dyes. What became clear is that art is a way of life in Indigenous communities. While there are artists with greater skill than others, without art, there isn’t a community.

We went on to visit other galleries, mostly in Parap, a suburb just outside Darwin. Among a Saturday food and crafts market, there are a number of permanent shops and galleries with a broad range of local and Indigenous art. Many of the more contemporary galleries exhibited collaborations of artists from different Indigenous communities and some Western artists as well. The range of work opened my eyes to the complexity and depth of Aboriginal art.

The knowledge displayed by the gallery owners and workers was of great respect and importance in sharing the meaning behind each piece. This accessibility to understanding Indigenous art and the beauty of the work draws you in – wanting to learn more. And I can’t wait to do so.

Places visited …
Parap: Nomad Art, Raft Artspace
Darwin city centre: Maningriola Arts
Fannie Bay: Museum and Art Gallery of the NT
Kununurra: Zebra Rock Gallery
Derby: Mowanjum Community