COVER VICTORIAN INDIGENOUS ART AWARDS 2005 Published by Arts Victoria through EXHIBITION DESIGNER AND HANGER the Deadly Arts Business program – Kimba Thompson a collaboration between Koori Business ARTISTS’ STATEMENTS AND BIOGRAPHIES Network and Arts Victoria to further the supplied by the artists development and awareness of South East Australian Indigenous Art. EDITORIAL TEAM Elizabeth Liddle, Lowanna Norris, Lainie Kluska and The views expressed in this publication Shelly Gorr, Arts Victoria are based on information provided by third party authors. Arts Victoria does not VICTORIAN INDIGENOUS ART AWARDS necessarily endorse the views of a JUDGING PANEL Jason Eades, CEO Koorie particular author. All information Heritage Trust, Judith Ryan, Senior Curator contained in this publication is considered Indigenous Art, National Gallery of Victoria, correct at the time of printing. Vicki Couzens, Kirrae Wurrung artist and previous Deadly Art Award recipient, and Arts Victoria Aunty Dot Peters, a Yarra Yarra elder and Postal Address: traditional weaver Private Bag No. 1 South Melbourne 3205 VICTORIAN INDIGENOUS ART AWARDS Victoria Australia STEERING COMMITTEE Elizabeth Liddle, Lowanna Norris, Stuart Koop, Eleanor TELEPHONE 03 9954 5000 Whitworth and Debra Jefferies, Arts Victoria; FACSIMILE 03 9686 6186 David Clark, Aboriginal Affairs Victoria; and TTY 03 9682 4864 Simone Brotherton, Koori Business Network TOLL FREE 1800 134 894 (regional Victoria only) PHOTOGRAPHY Ponch Hawkes and David Marks EMAIL [email protected] CATALOGUE DESIGN Actual Size WEBSITE www.arts.vic.gov.au PRINTED BY Bambra Press Koori Business Network Postal Address: Thank you to all artists who entered the awards. Level 37 Special thanks to all the artists who worked 55 Collins Street with us to develop the Victorian Indigenous Art Melbourne 3000 Awards exhibition and permitted us to profile Victoria Australia their work in this catalogue. TELEPHONE 03 9651 9158 © Copyright: The artists, photographers and FACSIMILE 03 9651 9004 the State of Victoria 2005 EMAIL [email protected] This publication is copyright. No part may WEBSITE www.business.vic.gov.au be reproduced by any process except in EXHIBITION CURATORS AND PROJECT accordance with provisions of the Copyright COORDINATION Elizabeth Liddle, Senior Act 1968. Arts Industry Officer – Indigenous Arts, Front Cover Image: Richard Hosking, Arts Victoria/Koori Business Network Outsider Films. Photograph taken at Mitta and Lowanna Norris, Indigenous Project Mitta River, Victoria. Thanks to Uncle Albert Officer, Arts Victoria Mullet and Richard Hoskings for permission CURATORIAL ASSISTANCE Stephen to use this image. Gilchrist, Senior Curator of Indigenous The VIAA exhibition runs from Art, National Gallery of Victoria 11 October 2005 to 31 January 2006, Arts Victoria, Level 6, 2 Kavanagh Street, Southbank. The exhibition is free and open to the public. All artworks featured in the VIAA exhibition and catalogue are available for purchase, with all proceeds going directly to the artists. CONTENTS Message from the Minister for the Arts 02 Message from the Minister for Small Business 03 Deadly Art Award winner 04 Lin Onus Award winner 06 Finalists 08 Artists’ Biographies 33 FROM THE MINISTER FOR THE ARTS PAGE 02 The Victorian Indigenous Art Awards arts event. I thank the Melbourne (VIAA) are an exciting new initiative International Arts Festival for their to celebrate, recognise and support support and partnership. Indigenous artists working in Victoria. Thank you to the Aboriginal In their first year the awards have Artists Development Trust for their attracted entries from visual artists sponsorship of the Lin Onus Award, across the state, across artistic styles and and to the family of Lin Onus for their mediums, and across generations. The support and involvement. The calibre finalists, presented in this catalogue, of works short-listed for this important reflect the breadth and strength of award, open to artists 30 years of age Victoria’s Indigenous arts sector. or less, points to an exciting future for Victoria’s Indigenous arts sector. Victoria’s Indigenous artists have an established history and are among the I would also like to acknowledge the most creative and exciting in the country, support of the National Gallery of producing high quality, diverse and Victoria who have lent curatorial distinctive work, as evidenced throughout expertise and materials to the exhibition. this exhibition and catalogue. Thank you to Aboriginal Affairs Victoria’s Indigenous artists are beginning Victoria for their invaluable advice to to gain the recognition they deserve. This the Victorian Indigenous Art Awards has been helped through the ground- Steering Committee. breaking Deadly Arts Business initiative, I commend and thank the panel of a partnership between Arts Victoria and judges, who brought to the task a wealth the Koori Business Network. Previous of expertise, knowledge and passion: Deadly Arts Business projects, including Jason Eades of the Koorie Heritage Trust, the Tribal Expressions exhibition series Judith Ryan of the National Gallery of and the Deadly Expressions catalogue, Victoria, Vicki Couzens, accomplished have provided direct benefits to Indigenous artist and 2003 Deadly Art individual artists and have assisted in Award recipient and Aunty Dot Peters, raising the profile of the sector. Indigenous community Elder and The inaugural Victorian Indigenous Art respected fibre-craft artist. Awards ceremony is another exciting Finally, I extend my warmest milestone for Deadly Arts Business, and congratulations to the award winners it is hoped that this event will grow and and short-listed artists. develop into a significant new fixture on Victoria’s annual arts calendar. The 2005 ceremony is placed within the prestigious context of the Melbourne International Mary Delahunty MP Arts Festival, providing an important Minister for the Arts international platform for Victoria’s Indigenous artists at our State’s flagship FROM THE MINISTER FOR SMALL BUSINESS PAGE 03 The Victorian Indigenous Art Awards I would like to take this opportunity (VIAA) celebrate the significant and to congratulate the award winners ongoing contribution of our Indigenous of the Deadly Art Award and the Lin art to Victoria’s rich cultural heritage. Onus Award for their outstanding prize winning works. This art is not only a dynamic creative force within the Indigenous community, I would also like to acknowledge the equally importantly, it is helping fine works submitted by the finalists as to generate exciting business and shown within this exhibition catalogue. economic development opportunities in I hope that you find this catalogue to the Indigenous arts sector. be not only a fitting memento of the The Victorian Indigenous Art Awards awards but a tribute to the excellence in are linked to a broader Victorian art produced by Indigenous Victorians. Government program initiative, Deadly Arts Business. Now in its third year, Deadly Arts Business is a successful partnership that has been developed between the Koori Business Network André Haermeyer MP and Arts Victoria. Minister for Small Business Deadly Arts Business aims to progress the development of distinctively Victorian Aboriginal arts practice while helping to build sustainable economic opportunities for all Indigenous artists living and working in Victoria. The awards program has served to provide increased promotional and development opportunities as well as increased commercial opportunities for both the award winners and finalists. PAGE 04 DEADLY ART AWARD WINNER PAGE 05 DEADLY ART AWARD WINNER PAGE 06 LIN ONUS AWARD WINNER PAGE 07 LIN ONUS AWARD WINNER PAGE 08 Adrian Austin | Blue Streaks of Light 2005 | Oil on canvas | 61 x 51cm | Gunditjmara At the moment I like working with abstract imagery that flows from my mind. This is a spiritual painting. The face of a Dreaming spirit is included in the body of the painting. I don’t think about painting, it just comes out. Painting comes naturally, but only when I get in the mood to paint. It just happens. Painting takes a lot out of me as there is a spiritual element in my paintings. It’s not a reproduced style; it’s my own art, every time. DEADLY ART AWARD FINALIST PAGE 09 Lorraine Austin | Encounter 2005 | Oil on canvas | 120 x 120cm | Palawa My paintings deal with submission, a consequence of violence – the site of the body as the object and the surface. My work is a dialogue that describes desire and violence of experience – a site of action, an abstract aerial map. Desire and violence record history; violence changes into desire. There is an aesthetic violence that comes from a marginalised and abused site. This painting is an abstraction of desire rather than images of violent events. The painting records its own fragmented history. DEADLY ART AWARD FINALIST PAGE 10 Mandi Barton | Pathways to culture 2005 | Synthetic polymer paint on canvas | 100 x 75cm | Yorta Yorta In the middle of the painting is the river running through Yorta Yorta country. The circles represent clans and family groups. There are canoes and tracks, which depict the crossing of the river for ceremonies and bartering. On the land there are also tracks leading to the river and other clans. The freedom to be able to express my connection with my culture, along with the ability to pass that down to my children, inspires me. I think my art is different and unique, but I do tend towards representing traditional cultural values in my work. LIN ONUS AWARD FINALIST PAGE 11 Kunda-Beamo | Rock Art 2005 | Acrylic on canvas | 100 x 75cm | Yamagi This work was inspired by a vision of ancient cave paintings. I have painted the images of animals on a cave. The sun is setting and has lit up the cave producing a vibrant colourful display. My work represents people, elders, spirits, dancers and animals portrayed in a combination of both contemporary and traditional techniques. DEADLY ART AWARD FINALIST PAGE 12 Turbo Brown | Kookaburras being cheeky to kangaroos 2005 | Acrylic on canvas | 91 x 123cm | Latje Latje This painting shows an early morning in Halls Gap.