Tandanya visit (finally)

The first sight upon entering Tandanya's gallery at present is a bleak looking fishbowl with one fish, and the words, "black history", stickered on the front. The fish swims up to investigate you as a newcomer, eyeing you expectantly, like a slave dependant on its master for a meal. It plain stopped me in my tracks. This simple piece perfectly captures contemporary Aboriginal artist Jason Wing's view of his culture's heritage, and its a theme that extends into his other pieces. His exhibition entitled "The Other, Other" follows on from the OZAsia festival, where the collection was also on display. It is a provocative collection that as Jason himself says "..explores the issues of cultural identity and aims to challenge the stereotypes of what is generally perceived to be 'Aboriginal' ". Indeed, it is hard to imagine a more contemporary approach to Indigenous art.

fig(s). 1, 2 & 3 Wing, Jason. "Blacktown Dreaming." glass bottles, goon bags, pillows, spray cans, syringes, plinth, 40 x 200 x 90 cm each. Photography by Adam Hollingworth, 2009.


"Blacktown Dreaming" (opposite) is a provocative piece that brings the blight of remote Indigenous communities to the forefront of the viewers mind. I was impressed by the audacity of the piece, and was reminded of Midnight Oil's famous tune, "Beds are Burning". 

Most of Jason's pieces bear little resemblance to traditional Indigenous practises. As a contemporary artist, he is part of the ongoing debate that has been alluded to in previous posts. Can Jason's work lay claim to being categorised as Aboriginal works, given their drastic departure from traditional methods? Some works use traditional ochers which connect with traditional mediums, but this is where the similarities end. Pushing the boundaries of "what is generally perceived to be 'Aboriginal' " is his right, but not all would want his work seen within that boundary. To many, he may simply be a contemporary Australian artist. 

Jason's work has nearly convinced me to use his exhibition as part of my final project for the course. His work opens the dialogue of what constitutes Indigenous art wide open, and into the discourse of current artistic criticism. Truly inspiring.