The purpose of this blog is to support and promote the Lockhart River Art Gang Exhibition at the Comune di Spoleto, Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna, Palazzo Collicola, Spoleto, Perugia, Italy. The Exhibition opens on 2nd September 2007 and closes on 2nd October 2007. The Exhibition is open every day except Tuesdays during this period.
The content of the early postings on this site have been sourced from the catalogue produced for the Exhibition. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical (including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system) without permission from the authors. Text: Remains with the author.
Future postings will provide a way for supporters of the Art Gang to get to know the artists better and follow their adventures in Spoleto.
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
The Art Gang
Art Historian University of Queensland Dr Sally Butler
Contemporary Aboriginal art from Australia's tropical north-east
community of Lockhart River is something new and unique to
Australian Indigenous art. It provides an intense visual insight into
one of the world's most spectacular coastal wilderness areas, rich
with diverse flora and fauna. But their art is not just about the place
of what they call 'Sandbeach Country'; it is also about the people
who belong there and how an Aboriginal way of life takes shape in
remote communities in the 21st century. The artists' particular
approaches to colour and figural description teach us about the
conditions of life in this beautiful remote location, and how a
community of people know and love this place.
Many aspects of Lockhart River art differ to Aboriginal art
produced in remote communities elsewhere in Australia. Lockhart
River is the only youth-driven art movement from remote
communities. Instead of developing out of the cultural tradition of
elders handing down inherited designs and symbols, Lockhart River
contemporary art emerged as a result of an innovative education
program seeking vocational opportunities for the community's
youth. Art provides significant employment potential for remote
Aboriginal communities and the education program sought to
equip students with professional skills in techniques such as
printmaking, sculpture and acrylic canvas painting. What grew out
of this education initiative was a group of artists with a distinctly
youthful perspective of Aboriginal life and a keen understanding of
their 21st century worldly context.
Youthful exuberance in this art is one of its hallmarks, but is rarely
over-stated. The art's qualities of high impact colour and strong
figurative expression are quite diverse, but are always anchored by
their common concern to create art about what sustains life in the
Lockhart River community. In this respect, their art is entirely
traditional because this has always been the function of art in
Aboriginal societies. Elders in the Lockhart River community
originally did not participate in this new art movement beyond
assisting with cultural knowledge and thematic advice. They
preferred to continue their practices of weaving, carving and
bead-making. However, many of these elders have now taken
inspiration from the success of younger artists and have commenced
contemporary art practices themselves. Examples of this new
development are included in this exhibition.
All aspects of community life from the past and present are featured
in the Lockhart River art. Rosella Namok's paintings depict
monsoonal downpours that define the wet season, and abstract
linear series of paintings that pertain to women elders and their
habit of 'yarning' (telling stories) whilst sitting and drawing in the
sand with their fingers. The elders' paintings are adding to this
repertoire of themes. The combination of different generations in
contemporary Aboriginal art from Lockhart River has effectively
strengthened it and broadens its already widespread appeal.
Contemporary Aboriginal art from Australia's tropical north-east
community of Lockhart River is something new and unique to
Australian Indigenous art. It provides an intense visual insight into
one of the world's most spectacular coastal wilderness areas, rich
with diverse flora and fauna. But their art is not just about the place
of what they call 'Sandbeach Country'; it is also about the people
who belong there and how an Aboriginal way of life takes shape in
remote communities in the 21st century. The artists' particular
approaches to colour and figural description teach us about the
conditions of life in this beautiful remote location, and how a
community of people know and love this place.
Many aspects of Lockhart River art differ to Aboriginal art
produced in remote communities elsewhere in Australia. Lockhart
River is the only youth-driven art movement from remote
communities. Instead of developing out of the cultural tradition of
elders handing down inherited designs and symbols, Lockhart River
contemporary art emerged as a result of an innovative education
program seeking vocational opportunities for the community's
youth. Art provides significant employment potential for remote
Aboriginal communities and the education program sought to
equip students with professional skills in techniques such as
printmaking, sculpture and acrylic canvas painting. What grew out
of this education initiative was a group of artists with a distinctly
youthful perspective of Aboriginal life and a keen understanding of
their 21st century worldly context.
Youthful exuberance in this art is one of its hallmarks, but is rarely
over-stated. The art's qualities of high impact colour and strong
figurative expression are quite diverse, but are always anchored by
their common concern to create art about what sustains life in the
Lockhart River community. In this respect, their art is entirely
traditional because this has always been the function of art in
Aboriginal societies. Elders in the Lockhart River community
originally did not participate in this new art movement beyond
assisting with cultural knowledge and thematic advice. They
preferred to continue their practices of weaving, carving and
bead-making. However, many of these elders have now taken
inspiration from the success of younger artists and have commenced
contemporary art practices themselves. Examples of this new
development are included in this exhibition.
All aspects of community life from the past and present are featured
in the Lockhart River art. Rosella Namok's paintings depict
monsoonal downpours that define the wet season, and abstract
linear series of paintings that pertain to women elders and their
habit of 'yarning' (telling stories) whilst sitting and drawing in the
sand with their fingers. The elders' paintings are adding to this
repertoire of themes. The combination of different generations in
contemporary Aboriginal art from Lockhart River has effectively
strengthened it and broadens its already widespread appeal.
Art Exhibition by the Art Gang in Spoleto Italy
The "Art Gang" who are young artists from Lockhart River,
Queensland, Australia are presenting their vibrant, contemporary
art for the first time in Italy at the Museum of Modern Art in
Spoleto.
Queensland, Australia are presenting their vibrant, contemporary
art for the first time in Italy at the Museum of Modern Art in
Spoleto.
Introduction to the Exhibition
Director, The Lockhart River Aboriginal Community Arts & Cultural Centre
Sue Ryan
It is with great pleasure I introduce the work of the Lockhart River
Art Gang to Italy for the first time. This year marks the tenth
anniversary of the establishment of the Lockhart River Aboriginal
Arts and Cultural Centre at Lockhart River, Far North Queensland,
Australia.
The Art Centre was set up to support and promote aboriginal
culture. It is a place where community people come to be creative
and share ideas and knowledge. It is a mix of young and old who
support each other in their arts and craft practice. Initially the
artists who came out of the Art Centre were all young people, still
in their teens. Those artists went on to gain incredible national and
international reputations at an early age. Most are still under the
age of thirty. These artists became widely known as the 'Art Gang'.
The Art Gang went on to become an Australian phenomenon
because it was the first time in history that a young contemporary
art movement was born out of an Aboriginal Art Centre. In other
Indigenous Art Centre's across Australia it was always the old people
who began painting. This was not the case at Lockhart River,
although the old people, particularly the women always contributed
considerably by giving young people inspiration for their painting
by sharing their knowledge, culture and stories.
These paintings speak about the land and the artist's connection to
that land. The vibrant colours used reflect the diverse, tropical
landscape where they live. After a ten year period we are starting to
see a shift appear at the Art Centre. The Art Gang continue to
exhibit with considerable success and some have left the community
to start new lives.
Recently the older women have started to paint. All of those stories
they told the young artists have started to spill onto the canvas.
From their first strokes we were excited by their natural ability,
contemporary feel and the unique spatial quality they expressed.
When the elder's were painting we noticed other younger people
became interested and started to paint also. There seems to be new
era evolving for the Art Centre. Is there a new art movement
forming?
We invite you all to come and experience an insight into another
world, another culture, both contemporary and ancient, young and
old. We hope you can share a little of Lockhart River with us and
celebrate our 10th anniversary. We give thanks to the people of
Spoleto and to the Comune for giving us this opportunity to
exhibit in the beautiful city of Spoleto, at the Museum of Modern
Art. We hope you enjoy the unique work of the talented young Art
Gang and our emerging elders.
Sue Ryan
It is with great pleasure I introduce the work of the Lockhart River
Art Gang to Italy for the first time. This year marks the tenth
anniversary of the establishment of the Lockhart River Aboriginal
Arts and Cultural Centre at Lockhart River, Far North Queensland,
Australia.
The Art Centre was set up to support and promote aboriginal
culture. It is a place where community people come to be creative
and share ideas and knowledge. It is a mix of young and old who
support each other in their arts and craft practice. Initially the
artists who came out of the Art Centre were all young people, still
in their teens. Those artists went on to gain incredible national and
international reputations at an early age. Most are still under the
age of thirty. These artists became widely known as the 'Art Gang'.
The Art Gang went on to become an Australian phenomenon
because it was the first time in history that a young contemporary
art movement was born out of an Aboriginal Art Centre. In other
Indigenous Art Centre's across Australia it was always the old people
who began painting. This was not the case at Lockhart River,
although the old people, particularly the women always contributed
considerably by giving young people inspiration for their painting
by sharing their knowledge, culture and stories.
These paintings speak about the land and the artist's connection to
that land. The vibrant colours used reflect the diverse, tropical
landscape where they live. After a ten year period we are starting to
see a shift appear at the Art Centre. The Art Gang continue to
exhibit with considerable success and some have left the community
to start new lives.
Recently the older women have started to paint. All of those stories
they told the young artists have started to spill onto the canvas.
From their first strokes we were excited by their natural ability,
contemporary feel and the unique spatial quality they expressed.
When the elder's were painting we noticed other younger people
became interested and started to paint also. There seems to be new
era evolving for the Art Centre. Is there a new art movement
forming?
We invite you all to come and experience an insight into another
world, another culture, both contemporary and ancient, young and
old. We hope you can share a little of Lockhart River with us and
celebrate our 10th anniversary. We give thanks to the people of
Spoleto and to the Comune for giving us this opportunity to
exhibit in the beautiful city of Spoleto, at the Museum of Modern
Art. We hope you enjoy the unique work of the talented young Art
Gang and our emerging elders.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)