Musee Du Quai Branly

Musee Du Quai Branly is the museum featuring Australia's Indigenous artworks in Paris, France. Exhibiting works by 8 of the most important Australian Aboriginal artists today on the ceilings of the ground floor, 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors as well as on its facade:

• Paddy Nyunkuny Bedford
• John Mawurndjul
• Ningura Napurrula
• Lena Nyadbi
• Michael Riley
• Judy Watson
• Tommy Watson
• Gulumbu Yunupingu

Artists feature - Meseum Layout

John Mawurndjul was the only one of the eight artists who actually flew to Paris to create the artwork on site. It wasn't the painting on the ceiling that he was creating but it was the painting on large scale of lorrkon (hollow logs) which took him 3 weeks to finish. These two hollow logs are featuring on ground floor at the entrance connecting to his painting on the ceiling. Other artists' works were selected and giving permission to the artists on site to replicate their works onto the ceiling with the supervise of the curators. 

French connection film

By watching this documentary film, recording the process of transferring each significant art work onto the ceiling of each floor was quite inspiring. It is quite an extraordinary project not only in the visual world but also the political side of it. I found that this project has opened up so many pathways and opportunity for Australian Indigenous Arts to be recognised and familiarise by the world population. Ever since the day that I have discovered John Mawurndjul and his rarrk in Art+Soul Documentary, I have always been admiring his process and techniques of making rarrk. His cross hatching are very neat with perfection, it's very contemporary yet contains so much spirituality within.

To find out more about this commission: Australian Indigenous Art Commission

Memorial

An example of a stronger Arnhem Land art will have to be the 'Aboriginal Memorial' at National Gallery of Australia. I can't show you the photo of this powerful work due to copyrights however you could follow this link and you'll be able to view it. NGV Aboriginal Memorial.

200 years European settlement, 200 Hollow log coffins were each decorated distinct rarrk, displaying to commemorate war victims. Each log represents each person who were the resistance during the European settlement. 

Arnhem Land Art

Top End Art (Arnhem Land) & Tiwi Island

Injalak Arts Gunbalanya
- Major Rock Art sites
- Painting on Barks and paper
- Western Arnhem style
- Cross hatching (Rarrk)
- X ray style - show internal organs of animals and creatures

Mimi Spirits
- Tall skinny figures with hair spooking from the back
- Unique style of cross hatching
- Mimi is an important icon for story country

Maningrida Arts (Central Arnhem Land)
- Diversity of languages
- Bark paintings
- Wood and Fiber Sculpture
- Prints
- Bronze and Aluminum

Vernon Ah Kee

Vernon Ah Kee, What Is An Aborigine, 2008 (detail), installation of 12 paintings at Cockatoo Island for the 16th Biennale of Sydney

I saw some of Vernon Ah Kee big portraits in week 8 lecture and I really enjoyed them. I love his large scale drawing of his family, especially when I could see the process of his drawing through this video clip from Youtube. 

SoI 1

SoI 2

Richard Bell

From today tutorial discussion, there are some interesting points that stood out. Today discussion was based on the reading called 'Bell's Theorem: Aboriginal Art, it's a white thing' written by Richard Bell, an Urban-based artist whose theme of work are mostly associated with the political issues. One thing that we sense from his statement is the anger. Bell is considered as enfant terrible, his works often confronting viewer using text and images. We weren't certain of the current theme that he associates with, however by just basing on this article which was written in 2002 Bell seemed to be expressing his resentment through the article as he showed some of diagrams which used to emphasis the exploitation where supposedly 'white' people gain benefit more than the artists themselves. We found that expressing anger and resentment is exceptional at a certain level in order to get the messge across, but for him to carry on the resentment, keep on reminding the negative aspects and not stepping forward is not the best strategies to solve the exist problems.

Richard Bell work in relation to his article:


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

Resembling Pollock's style of painting.

Richard Bell

Jake Dale c.1922

Jack and Biddy Dale, Wandjina 2004, courtesy Aboriginal Art Online.

Referred to as the ‘Grand Old Man of the Kimberley’, tribal elder Jack Dale is highly respected as both a custodian of ceremonial ‘Law’ and for his skill as a bushman. 

In his late 70’s Dale started exploring historical themes in his art. Incidents that he had personally experienced or witnessed and later depicted in his art included hiding as police patrols forcibly took Aboriginal children from their families, watching chain gangs of Aboriginal men being marched away by white men on horseback, and the arrival of the Afghan camel drivers. Jack Dale’s most compelling works focus on the Wandjina and other important spirit beings that created the land and instituted the laws that govern human behaviour amongst his own people.  

For more review:

Top 200 Australian Aboriginal Artists

Interesting Websites

Some great websites which providing variety of artists' backgrounds and news on Aboriginal art this includes

Aboriginal Art Coop Gallery. - lots of artworks, Top Australian Aboriginal Artist Review
Aboriginal Art News - Articals, news, media press, blog, newspapers
Creative Spirits - General information on Aboriginal culture and arts in different regions
Aboriginal Art Store - not only an online Aboriginal Art store but a central of culture infromation as well as the news and media press forum