Isolation: Jimmy Pike and Patricia Lowe in the Great Sandy Desert

There can be few artists who live and work in such isolation as does Jimmy Pike. His isolation is not merely geographical, though our camp on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert is two and a half hours' drive in dry weather from Fitzroy Crossing and inaccessible in dry weather, but also social and artistic.

More from this Issue

Balance 1990

Exhibition review Balance 1990 held at Queensland Art Gallery and curated by Michael Eather and Marlene Hall, March 1990.

Louise Dauth

A Playwrights Story

"In January 1989, I attended the second national Black Playwrights conference. I arrived at this conference feeling very unsure and insecure with nine small scenes which I had hoped would turn in to a play."

Raymond Kelly

Review of the Review

In 1989, Jon Altman, Chris McGuigan and Peter Yu were asked by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs to look into the viability of the Aboriginal Arts and Crafts industry, to point to ways to improve its efficiency and effectiveness and to advise which government programs could give cost effective support to the industry and to recommend managing and marketing strategies.

Tim Rowse

Donna Leslie

Looks at the art practice of Donna Leslie.

Natalie Greenwood

Letter From Arnhem Land Where All the Real Art's Supposed To Be

"How many people still think that up north or in the centre is the only place for real Aboriginal art. You know when you work with it, selling it, buying it, you hear it all the time."

Steve Fox

Milton Budge

Looks at the art practice of Milton Budge.

Leone Stanford

Mural at Port Lincoln: Kerry Giles and Melanie Howard

Kerry Giles and Melanie Howard talking to Felicity Wright about the mural in Port Lincoln South Australia.

Felicity Wright

Aboriginal Theatre in Tasmania

"From the time that whites arrived in Tasmania and up until 1983 Aboriginal performing arts especially theatre arts, had become almost as extinct as whites would have people believe Tasmanian Aborigines were. Not so!"

Jim Everett

Aboriginal Rock Festival

It's now early September 1989 and Aboriginal Rock Bands from the Northern Territory and interstate are travelling by any means possible to Darwin for the Sing Loud Play Strong 2nd Festival of Aboriginal Rock Music.

Andy Kiwat

Black Radio in Cairns

Explores Aboriginal radio in far north Queensland.

Margaret O'Shane

Balance Stories

Two alternative opinions on Australia's most obvious cultural exchange - Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal- was the original conception of Balance 1990 Views, Visions, Influences - a collaborative exhibition originally titled Balance 1988: Two views One Vision. Beginning by artists sitting and talking it became obvious that there were more than just two perspectives.

Michael Eather

Australia to the World

In the choice of Rover Thomas and Trevor Nickolls to echibit in the Australian Pavilion at the 1990 Venice Biennale, Australia will present a combination that challenges many conventional attitudes to Aboriginal art. Simultaneously the exhibition offers an appropriate platform to two important if highly idiosyncratic contemporary painters.

Michael O'Ferrall

View all articles in this issue