Josephine Napurrula- Untitled 2007
Indigenous Australian artists have, in the past century, faced a particularly unique set of obstacles. For instance, since the 1970’s there have been many cases of art dealers exploiting the largely illiterate and non-English speaking artists. But perhaps the greatest obstacle faced by contemporary indigenous artists is the internal struggle between keeping their ancestral traditions a secret and sharing such traditions with the world through their art. Only in recent decades has their work been recognized as valuable and been lauded by the international art community. And with larger price tags and more recognition comes not only internal conflicts for the artist, but also criticism from their indigenous communities.
“Icons of the Dessert: Early Aboriginal Paintings from Papunya,” an exhibition currently taking place at the Grey Art Gallery, brings Indigenous Australian contemporary art to New York. Geoffrey Bardon, a school teacher in Sydney, traveled to the Aboriginal community, Papunya, in 1971. There he encouraged the indigenous people to begin recreating their desert sand drawings on canvas. The new artists were, in essence, broadcasting their secret, sacred rituals for the world to see. For them, art depicting sacred beings is not just a rendering of a subject. They believe that the ancestor, creature, or event represented in an image comes to almost inhabit the artwork, giving each piece a certain spiritual power. Their pieces often reference “Dreamtime,” their legend of how earth and its people were created. For Indigenous Australians, art has always been a mode of worship. Most contemporary Indigenous Australian artists would argue that they still view their art in this way. They are using long-practiced techniques and telling ancient stories in honor of their heritage and beliefs.
However, many of the indigenous tribes from the area feel that these artists are merely selling their sacred stories for profit. Is the sharing of a ritual really an act of blasphemy? To be sure, the artists would argue that it is not. However, one can also be sure that such an artist could not have reached this conclusion lightly or without a certain amount of internal strife. At an upcoming lecture, Fred Myers, the Chair of Anthropology, will speak on the topic to highlight the cultural significance the exhibition. Entitled, "Showing Too Much, Showing Too Little: The Predicament of Aboriginal Painting in Central Australia," the lecture will focus on the predicament faced by these artist and how this internal and external struggle could possibly effect the exhibition their works in the future.
Comments