Western Desert artists are known for their innovative continuation of the dot painting movement and for developing new ways to retell cultural narratives – adapting what had previously existed in ephemeral form into a permanent state.
Presented by Verge Gallery in collaboration with Papunya Tjupi Arts, ‘D_O_T’ explores Western Desert practices without anchoring to “the dot”. Art Almanac has included ‘D_O_T’ in our December issue as a recommended exhibition in brief. However the complexity and concept extend beyond our note to readers.
Curated by Siân McIntyre with installation design assistance from Anne-Louise Dadak, the exhibition acknowledges the repeated rhythmic and optical patterns of dots, but spotlights the bold structural lines and fluid forms illustrating stories from the Central Desert.
The installation engulfs the gallery space inviting the viewer to be immersed in the drawings of Doris Bush, Martha MacDonald, Isobel Major, Candy Nelson, Maureen Poulson and Beyula Puntungka. “The traced lines act as a ‘contemporary’ stage for the original works on paper, expanding beyond the frames on a scale that is all encompassing”, says McIntyre.
‘D_O_T’ also questions how Indigenous art is seen, challenging the expectations and conditions of creative practice and the nature of value and representation of contemporary art from Central Australia. The inability of museum and gallery spaces to correctly present these artworks where the primary purpose extends past its visual aesthetic character oppresses them to conform to the dominant strategies of modernist display paradigms. In Sydney, Western Desert paintings are usually located in ‘specialised galleries’, housed in the collections of major cultural institutions or corporate boardrooms. These paintings are accompanied by text panels outlining the lore (or ‘dreaming’) associated with the designs depicted on the canvas. These panels limit the viewer’s understanding of the work, subjecting them to textbook interpretations.
McIntyre discusses the importance of delving deeper into the lived histories of these artists: “The large-scale traced lines, painted in the same tone as the gallery floor, uses the drama of contemporary installation as a stage for the original works, drawing the viewer in to the more detailed marks of the artists. The series of original line paintings produced by the artists in September are drawings, without the ‘dots’ for which Papunya paintings are so well known. They represent the foundation of many of these artists’ painting practices. Framed, projected and traced with the artists’ permission, I hope that the lines shown feel overwhelming and exciting, inaccessible yet inviting; representing a visual language that has not been translated for mass consumption. This may create an unnerving or unclear environment, however I think Australians should strive to surround ourselves with people, histories, stories and experiences that make us feel unsteady and unsure of our place in this country.”
As a part of this exhibition there will be a discussion titled Indigenising the White Cube: rethinking curatorial practices, which considers some of the issues raised in ‘D_O_T’, inviting Indigenous artists and curators and non-Indigenous curators who have worked with Indigenous artists to discuss the modes of representation of Indigenous art in contemporary spaces. The panel, held at the Verge Gallery on Friday 25 November, 6-8pm chaired by Stephen Gilchrist, Associate Lecturer of Indigenous Art at the University of Sydney. Speakers include: Emily McDaniel, Lead Artist Educator, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Programs MCA; Emma Pike, Curator Kaldor Public Art Projects; and Sebastian Goldspink, Sydney based curator and Director of ALASKA Projects.
On balance, the exhibition and discussion panel provide a platform for us to better understand the nuances of self-representation and cross-cultural relations in art and its display.
Galerie pompom
Until 11 December, 2016
Sydney
D_O_T, installation view
Photograph: Docqment
