Should art centres cater more for the few 'Top Quality' artists that each has or should they support and encourage artistic activities by all who are interested?
Original dreaming. Aboriginal people believe that the spirit ancestors watch over us today to ensure the laws are kept and that punishment is inflicted if broken. Photograph of Yuendume women dancing.
'Bangarra' is a Wiradjeri word meaing to make fire and the dance company so named has sparked enthusiasm for its performances in countries as far afield as Japan, New Guinea, the USA and Finland.
"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."
Explores a historic trip for six traditional artists from Australia for the exhibition 'Magicians of the Earth'. This global overview was created to "reveal the force of communication" and was true to its title.
The people of Utopia have been making important visual images for thousands of years, on their bodies and ceremonial objects. In 1977 these images leapt onto lengths of silk via the batik technique and it was in this medium that the women of Utopia went on to establish a reputation for themselvs with their powerful images and distinctive style.
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.
Until recently, Pitjantjatjara communities had very limited acces to or influence from mainstream media, communications, technology and information systems. English is still a foreign language to most of the population and functional levels of literacy are very low.