Freshwater Saltwater
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2013 Freshwater Saltwater YOU AND ME CONNECTING TO COUNTRY STRENGTHENING OUR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER CULTURAL PRACTICES Freshwater Saltwater: Connecting to country to Connecting Saltwater: Freshwater Published by UMI Arts to support the Freshwater Saltwater: Connecting to country exhibition at UMI Arts, 14 August – 25 September 2013 UMI Arts 335 Sheridan Street North Cairns, Queensland 4870 Ph (07) 4041 6152 Fax (07) 4041 6542 Email: [email protected] www.umiarts.com.au Copyright 2013 UMI Arts Limited, Artists and Authors All rights reserved ISBN: 978-0-9922945-1-9 This publication is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of criticism, review or private research as allowed under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication or its images can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means without written permission. The spelling of Indigenous words and names varies. UMI Arts has used the spelling provided by the Artists. Exhibition Curator: Teho Ropeyarn Exhibition Team: Teho Ropeyarn, Jaivan Bowen, Janet Parfenovics and Danelle Nicol Catalogue design and production: Guy Hancock Artwork photography: Michael Marzik This project has been made possible by the Australian Government Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Office for the Arts (Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support), Australian Government (Visual Arts and Craft Strategy), Arts Queensland and ARUP. Cover image: Agnes Mark, Burn Grass Title page image: Philomena Yeatman, Jurbal Mugaru Back page image: Marsat Newman, NPA Croc CONNECTING TO COUNTRY Contents 5 Executive Officer’s Foreword 6 Freshwater Saltwater: Connecting to country 11 The Artists 12 Edna Ambrym 14 Vincent Babia 16 Maurice Gibson 18 Lisa Michl 19 Susan Kennedy 20 Glen Mackie 22 Agnes Mark 24 Bernard Singleton Jnr 26 Marsat Newman 28 Robert Tommy Pau 29 Faron Nunn 30 Napolean Oui 33 Gertrude Davis 36 Kel Williams 38 Michelle Yeatman 39 Michelle Yeatman and Arone Meeks 40 Philomena Yeatman 41 Geraldine Yorke UMI Arts Executive Officer’s Foreword Congratulations to the eighteen artists featured Early in the year, UMI Arts was advised that its in this year’s Freshwater Saltwater: Connecting application to the Department of Education, to country exhibition. It is a fascinating collection Training and Employment (DETE) had been of works and stories brought together by Teho successful. This funding is provided to UMI Ropeyarn, UMI Arts Gallery Curator, that give an Arts through the Industry and Indigenous Skill insight into the diverse cultures and practices of Centres Program and has supported building our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual upgrades of UMI Arts’ current premises to artists from Far North Queensland. allow it to deliver in-situ training to artists, musicians and a range of other professional UMI Arts is the peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait support positions in the creative industries Islander arts and cultural organisation for Far sector. This funding also allows UMI Arts to take North Queensland, an area that extends north of training support facilities into remote Indigenous Cairns to include the Torres Strait Islands, south communities in Far North Queensland. to Cardwell, west to Camooweal and includes the Gulf and Mt Isa regions. I would like to thank Fisher Buttrose Architects for their time and commitment to the UMI Arts is a not-for-profit company managed development of UMI Arts’ existing site and by an all-Indigenous Board of Directors and is facilities. Also, I thank Michael Marzik for his based in Cairns. UMI Arts was established in time and advice in presenting our three galleries 2005 and its mission is to operate an Indigenous with professional gallery track lighting made organisation that assists Aboriginal and Torres possible through the Museum of Brisbane. We Strait Islander peoples to participate in the would like to gratefully acknowledge the support maintenance, preservation and protection of of the Museum of Brisbane, particularly that of cultural identity. UMI Arts also operates as the Peter Denham, The Director and Sharyn Watson, Cairns Indigenous Art Centre in order to provide Exhibitions Officer, for their support of UMI Arts. support for Indigenous artists who live and work in Cairns. I thank the Members of this organisation, as you have much to be proud of and much to look Since 2008, UMI Arts has strategically developed forward to. I would like to thank the staff of UMI a framework of programs that variously support, Arts whose commitment, energy and belief in up-skill or showcase the breadth and diversity the organisation is truly extra-ordinary – thank of Indigenous artists and cultural practitioners you Janet, Danelle, Teho, Renee, Jemma and as they journey along their chosen pathways to Jaivan – what a team! success. Finally, I also extend a huge thank you to Arup, This year, in 2013, we are pleased to announce and to UMI Arts’ key funding partners; Arts the delivery of several new programs and events Queensland, Office for the Arts and the Australia which will see major career pathways developed Council for the Arts, and to our continued for our member visual artists and musicians. sponsors and supporters of our visual arts program. In August, we held three major events: our annual signature event, Big Talk One Fire Darrell Harris Concert, the innagrual Freshwater Saltwater Executive Officer exhibition and our annual Pathways exhibition. Combined, they showcased over 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and performers. 5 Freshwater Saltwater: Connecting to country Freshwater Saltwater is an annual UMI Arts when police moved into Old Mapoon and exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander removed the Old Mapoon peoples by force and artists from Far North Queensland. This year’s burnt their homes. theme is Connecting to country. Djabuguy, Umpila and Yirrkandji man, Bernard Freshwater represents the diverse Aboriginal Singleton Jnr grew up in Coen and learnt the Nations in Far North Queensland, from Cardwell ways of the bush. Umpila is his connection on the coast, west to Camooweal and everything through his father to the Coen region. Bernard’s north to the Kaurareg peoples on the islands at connection to the Djabuguy people is through the tip of Cape York. The freshwater runs off the his mother who was born in Monamona and mainland and into the sea. who is a Djabuguy woman. Bernard’s work in this exhibition is based on stories told to him by his Saltwater represents the diverse island peoples granddad and grandmother. The Hairyman story and cultures that occupy the Torres Strait Island speaks about the words from the old people region. They are surrounded by the sea. - not to go wandering or the Hairyman would snatch them. Bernard’s work resembles rock art, Therefore, the freshwater flows off the mainland with the overlapping placement of objects and into the sea where it meets the saltwater. This subjects; a style which is depicted in many cave connection of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait paintings. Warrma at Monamona, is a powerful Islander peoples is what is expressed through painting replicating an old photograph of the the Freshwater Saltwater title. However, the Old Men in Monamona Mission painted-up for freshwater and saltwater metaphor does not ceremony. The use of the silhouette of the Old assume people are one or the other; in reality Men is a forceful visual image in the foreground they may be freshwater and saltwater. whose statures resonate a guardian like presence. The spirituality of this work is alive and The theme for the Freshwater Saltwater 2013 depicts the continuation of cultural knowledge exhibition is Connecting to country. It speaks and ceremony guided by the spiritual ancestors of the holistic existence of Aboriginal and Torres in the background. Strait Islander peoples; their cultures and the environments they live in. The thirty three Wangullay is Edna Ambrym’s language name artworks selected for this exhibition explore from Yarrabah. Edna comes from the Gungandji this theme. and Guru Gulu peoples. She was born in Cairns and raised in Yarrabah. Edna’s vibrant and One of the eighteen artists contributing to the colourful palette references her passion for the exhibition is Atambaya and Mpakwithi woman, country and surroundings of Yarrabah, where Agnes Mark. Agnes lives in New Mapoon and is she happily paints at the Yarrabah Arts and Crafts the Co-ordinator of the Northern Peninsula Area Centre. As passionate as she is of Yarrabah, Arts Centre. Agnes responded to the Connecting Edna’s response to the Connecting to country to country theme with two works. Mapoon theme reinvigorates her style and abstract Burning reflects the history and forced removal paintings that survey the Yarrabah region and and relocation of the Old Mapoon peoples. inlet. The coast and rainforest is depicted in Many of the Old Mapoon people relocated to her painting Beautiful Land and Sea, a vibrant, New Mapoon, one of the five communities that eye-catching and colourful painting. Her bubbly, make up the Northern Peninsula Area. Agnes’s flowing, round shapes and striking brush strokes second work Burn Grass, an acrylic painting, is are typical of her style and are seen in many of her expression of the emotion felt at the time her paintings, including Rock Pools. of hearing her Elders telling her the story of 6 Faron Nunn, a dedicated and committed painter Established artist Glen Mackie (Kei Kalak), from the Bana Yirriji Art and Cultural Centre originally from Iama (Yam Island), Gudumadh of Wujal Wujal comes from KuKu Nyungkal clan, is one of the key printmakers of the Torres people from the Shipton Flat, Kings Plain and Strait. Glen’s father is from Iama and his mother Helenvales region. Faron’s works are based on is from Masig (Yorke Island). He is an elected his country and community where he paints the story-teller for Iama and his mission is to keep animals from his tribal country, including birds, alive sacred stories, myths and legends of his fish, goanna, eel, kangaroo and snakes.