Published by Arts Victoria. The views expressed in this publication are based on information provided by third party authors. Arts Victoria does not necessarily endorse the views of a particular author. All information contained in this publication is considered correct at the time of printing. Arts Victoria VIAA PRE -SELECTION PANEL EXHIBITION CURATORS , Private Bag No. 1 Maree Clarke, Curatorial Manager, DESIGN AND HANGING South Melbourne 3205 Koorie Heritage Trust; Stephen Boscia Galleries Victoria Australia Gilchrist, Curator – Indigenous Art, PHOTOGRAPHY TELEPHONE 03 9954 5000 National Gallery of Victoria; Jirra Harvey, Freelance Curator. Ponch Hawkes FACSIMILE 03 9686 6186 CATALOGUE DESIGN TTY 03 9682 4864 VIAA FINAL JUDGING PANEL AND SPONSORS Actual Size TOLL FREE 1800 134 894 Lorraine Coutts, Indigenous Curator; (Regional Victoria only) Kevin Williams, Indigenous artist; PRINTED BY [email protected] Zara Stanhope, freelance Curator; Gunn and Taylor Printers www.arts.vic.gov.au Stephen Gilchrist, Curator – Indigenous Art, National Gallery The VIAA exhibition runs from of Victoria; Judith Ryan, Senior 29 November to 20 December Curator – Indigenous Art, National 2008, Boscia Galleries, Melbourne Gallery of Victoria; Jason Eades, Victoria, 3000. CEO – Koorie Heritage Trust; Nerissa The exhibition is free and open to Broben, Curatorial Manager – Koorie the public. Heritage Trust; Chris Keeler, Curatorial Assistant – Koorie Artworks featured in the VIAA Heritage Trust. exhibition are available for purchase. This publication is copyright. No part SPONSORS ’ REPRESENTATIVES Michele and Anthony Boscia, may be reproduced by any process Boscia Galleries. except in accordance with provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Thank you to all the artists who entered the awards. And those © Copyright: The artists, photographers who worked with us to develop the and the State of Victoria 2008 Victorian Indigenous Art Awards 2008 exhibition and permitted us to profile their work in this catalogue. Thank you to all the people involved in supporting the awards development and delivery. Contents Message from the Minister for the Arts 6 Award Winners 10 Highly Commended 22 Commended 26 From the Minister for the Arts About the Victorian Indigenous Art Awards The Victorian Government is One of the underlying aims proud to present the 2008 of the Victorian Indigenous Victorian Indigenous Arts Awards. Arts Awards is to foster commercial opportunities for The awards were established Indigenous artists in Victoria, by the Victorian Government and to develop a market for to support and raise the profile their work. To this end, I must of Indigenous art and artists in acknowledge the generous The Victorian Indigenous Art the development of the Victoria and to acknowledge the support of Boscia Galleries, Awards (VIAA) is an annual art Indigenous arts industry important role indigenous art sponsor of the Boscia Galleries award program developed for within Victoria; Award for Photography and Indigenous artists through Arts plays in both Victoria’s heritage the acknowledgement our exhibition partner. Support Victoria. and our contemporary culture. and showcasing of quality from a commercial gallery offers Indigenous art produced in Since the inaugural presentation valuable expertise and exposure VIAA is designed to facilitate Victoria; in 2005, these awards have for the shortlisted artists. outcomes for Indigenous artists grown to become one of through: facilitating economic and I would also like to acknowledge the richest and most diverse commercial opportunities the ongoing support of our Indigenous art award programs for Victorian Indigenous award sponsors: the Koorie in the country with a total prize artists; Heritage Trust, the National pool of $48,000 across Gallery of Victoria, Peter Brock raising the profile of six categories. Foundation and the Department Indigenous cultural activities of Planning and Community Each year, the awards discover in Victoria; Development through new talent, provide vital career Aboriginal Affairs Victoria. developing new audiences; and practice development and opportunities for artists and Finally I congratulate all the forming partnerships within showcase the depth and diversity award winners and shortlisted the arts sector. of Indigenous art in Victoria. artists whose vibrant and diverse work is featured in this This year, 24 artworks have exhibition and catalogue. been shortlisted ranging from painting to photography and installation. More than half of the shortlisted artists are from regional Victoria demonstrating the strength of Indigenous art Lynne Kosky MP right across the state. Minister for the Arts 6 7 Victorian Indigenous Art Awards 2008 RECIPIENTS WINNERS HIGHLY COMMENDED COMMENDED Deadly Art Award Victorian Cultural Deadly Art Award Koorie Heritage Trust Marilyne Nicholls Heritage Award Ivan Johnson Acquisition Award Perception of Spirit Jennifer Mullet Walking on the Landscape Brian Birch from Land The Talking Dog Legend Celebration of Survival Victorian Cultural Lin Onus Award Boscia Galleries Award Heritage Award Ronald Edwards for Photography Eileen Harrison Borun and Tuck Johnathan Harradine The children of Jackson’s Track Smoking Free Zone Koorie Heritage Trust Lin Onus Award Acquisition Award Sharmane Maddigan Reko Rennie-Gwaybilla Coloured Girl Big Red Koorie Heritage Trust NGV Acquisitive Prize Acquisition Award Gayle Maddigan Arthur Dawes Memory lines of a Gunai/Kurnai tribe shields distant wailing 8 9 Deadly Art Award Marilyne Nicholls WINNER Perception of Spirit from the Land 2008 Basket Grass Fibre 136cm in diameter (irregular) Resides: Wood Wood Watti Watti/Barrapa/Dja Dja Wrung/Yulpagulp Marilyne Nicholls has lived most Judges’ comments: of her life in and around Swan This piece is a dramatic and Hill. She was encouraged to many-layered work, utilising the weave by her mother, also an traditional technique of coiling excellent and exhibited weaver. to weave a contemporary Her practice involves researching description of connections and documenting suitable to the land. The concentric plants for weaving, and in the weaves move outward, with past has incorporated colour, motifs which adorn the surface acrylics and screen printing into at intervals, revealing both the her work. Nicholls continues to internal history, and a Dreaming. explore ideas of perception Similarly, these undulating and its representation in open lines map the past movement coil weaving. of the artists’ hand, working delicately over time. This is ‘As I became more interested in further evidenced in the gradual weaving I started experimenting change of brightness in the with plant fibres and looking colour of the grass. at how I could intertwine my thoughts into the weaving. The The artists’ dedication to look of the open coil weaving developing and working reminds me of lace, and is creatively with a practice she distinctively contemporary as it has learnt from family is an adds an interesting dynamic to inspiration, and her work is the traditional weave technique.’ stimulating to artists and non-artists alike. 10 11 Lin Onus Award Ronald Edwards WINNER Borun and Tuck 2008 Acrylic on paper 49 x 74cm (image size) Resides: Morwell Gunnai/Kurnai Ronald Edwards is also known This is the story from the as Ngetal Maktar. In 2006 he dreamtime of the Gunnai/Kurnai. graduated with a Certificate IV I’m keen to continue to express in Aboriginal & Torres Strait myself through my painting and Islander Art & Design and also tell the stories of my ancestors. in Cultural Arts from Gippsland The circles symbolize the TAFE. He has had several shows meeting places where different at Latrobe Regional Gallery events happened back in in Morwell and the Koorie dreamtime. The line-workings Heritage Trust, Melbourne. are the traditional markings of my tribe.’ ‘The first Gunnai/Kurnai came from the mountains in the Judges’ comments: north-west, carrying his canoe. This work clearly indicates the He was Borun – the Pelican. development of a personal He crossed Tribal River by Sale way of expressing culture that and walked to Tarra Warackel employs a fresh perspective (Port Albert) in the West. As he on designs from the artists’ walked he heard constant country. His use of line tapping sounds, but couldn’t throughout this piece is identify them. When he reached reminiscent of etching found the water inlets, Borun put on clubs and shields from his down his canoe and much to country, the Gippsland region. his surprise there was a woman in it. She was Tuck, a musk-duck. He was very happy to see her and she became his wife, and Mother of the Gunnai/ Kurnai people. 12 13 Koorie Heritage Trust Reko Rennie-Gwaybilla Acquisition Award Big Red 2008 WINNER Synthetic polymer on two canvas panels 244 x 92cm (assembled) Resides: Port Melbourne Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay/Gummaroi Reko Rennie-Gwaybilla Judges’ comments: discovered graffiti as a teenager, From the moment we walked and with no formal training in into the gallery, our attention art, he soon began his artistic was arrested by the giant apprenticeship on the streets kangaroo standing at the head of Melbourne. His stencil art of the room. and installations use traditional flora and fauna imagery that Reko Rennie-Gwaybilla’s stencil represent his community and work provides a contemporary continually explore issues of interpretation of local culture. identity, race, law and justice, It is inextricably reminiscent of health, education, land rights, two discrete cultures; the style stolen generations