Evolving Traditions
Desert Painters, Gagosian Gallery, NYC
The culture and history of Indigenous Australians is vast and rich, but has been underrepresented in the world of art. Like many indigenous cultures, they were subjected to the oppressive force of colonialism. Today, many contemporary Indigenous Australian artists are vey much in conversation with their traditions and communities and their relationship to art and culture outside of their population. Although perhaps not as widely known as some other artists, there is a new exhibition of works by contemporary Indigenous artists at Gagosian Gallery in New York. This course-correction of a show illustrates the beautiful and elegant vision of the Indigenous Australian people.
This exhibition is framed around an artistic community that formed somewhat surprisingly. In the 1960s, many Indigenous people were moved to the Papunya settlement in northern Australia. As a result, the new community began to personalize their home and share their culture with others. This started with murals, but soon moved into painting. Since then, painters in this region captured the interest of those outside of these settlements. These works on display were wisely collected by the University of Virginia and- oddly enough -the actor and comedian Steve Martin. Although intentionally and forcibly displaced by the government, the booming artistic and cultural response was (and still is) a testament to the strength and talent of Indigenous Australians.
Unlike the western notion of abstraction, these paintings are not dealing with conceptualism or non-objectivity, but instead filled with symbolism, meaning, and history. For example, certain works recall the topographic maps of the desert, while others harken back to spiritual practices and symbols. More specifically, certain works have serpentine patterns that reference sacred and ancestral associations with the python. Embedded in all of these works are references and clues to the culture in which these artists live. Despite being rooted within one of the oldest surviving societies in the world, these paintings feel new and vibrant, not ancient. This exhibition is worthy viewing for this quality alone, but it also offers you the unique cultural perspective and the phenomenal skills of these artists.
