Utopia can be defined as “an imagined place or state in which everything is perfect”. Australia is considered to be the lucky country in reference to its natural resources, weather, history and other sorts of prosperity. Danie Mellor and Cia Guo – Qiang are two artists who explore perfect transformation in a country by offering symbolic traditions of landscape and culture in their artworks. Through the use of utopia as a central theme, Danie Mellor’s ‘Paradise Generations’ and Cia Guo – Qiang’s ‘Heritage 2013’ and ‘Head On 2006’ communicate a similar message on Australia’s identity to present the idea of perfect harmony within its natural landscape2. The purpose of this letter is to recommend the artworks listed above by Danie Mellor and Cia Guo – Qiang for the upcoming exhibition “Utopian Australia – the Lucky Country?” as they likewise represent the nature of Australia’s developing utopian identity through the aspect of visual language in culture2.
Cia Guo – Qiang’s exhibition ‘Falling Back to Earth’ presents an impossible sense of the world’s perfect harmony in its natural landscape and cultural values2. This is particularly suggested through Cia’s artwork ‘Heritage 2013’ with the media in the piece consisting of hide, polystyrene, gauze and resin to carve exactly 99 replica life-sized animals which are situated around an installed artificial watering hole containing a drip mechanism surrounded by sand2. ‘Heritage 2013’ can be seen as the ‘last paradise’ with the connection of 99 gathered animals from varying places in the world drinking from the last waterhole yet to be affected by human and natural occurances2. Another artwork of Cia’s, ‘Head On 2006’, which is also part of his exhibition ‘Falling Back to Earth’ explores...
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...Danie Mellor’s pieces ‘Paradise Generations’ and ‘Still water runs deep’ send a message confronting the possibilities of utopia in Australia. Each artwork should be included in the upcoming exhibition “Utopian Australia – the Lucky Country?” as they convey varying messages on the central theme of utopia based upon their cultural backgrounds and experiences. In ‘Heritage 2013’ Cia focuses on the impact of humanity ending the possibility of harmonious perfection as seen by the ‘last paradise’. Whilst in ‘Head On 2006’, the artist expresses a message on the universal human tragedy of rushing towards our goals of utopia without compromise. Mellor on the other hand uses his cultural experiences to comment on the acceptance of Indigenous people and the challenges the early settlers faced in gaining an identity within Australia.
Yours faithfully,
Andrew John Pengelly.
This painting of Maria and her surrounds obviously shows us the difference of her new home compared to Italy or Rome. Without even showing us how her life used to be. Her face looks sad and possibly lonely. The town looks deserted. It reminds us of the amount of immigrants that come to Australia after the Second World War to create a new life. Drysdale also had to leave his home country of England to settle a new li...
‘Triptych: Requiem, Of Grandeur, Empire’ by the contemporary artist, Gordon Bennett in 1989 is a series of three artworks that depict the Australian landscape through stylised means in combination with appropriated and geometrical imagery. Through this series, Bennett effectively showcases the impact Western European culture had upon Indigenous lives and cultures post colonisation and how it has led to the destruction of Aboriginal culture as a whole. This is portrayed through the excellent utilisation of appropriated imagery, diverse art styles, and visual metaphors within his work.
Jedda, Australia’s first colour film, created in 1955 by Charles Chauvel deals with an Aboriginal child adopted by a white grazing family. As she grows up, Jedda is tempted more and more to return to her people. Seduced by the wild Marbuck, she partakes in the film's tragedy, played out against a spectacular landscape. This essay seeks to discuss the representations of the Australian landscape as portrayed in the film Jedda, highlighting the use of filmic techniques in these representations.
Anne Zahalka was born in 1957 and comes from an immigrant background with Jewish Viennese and Catholic Czech heritage. She grew up in Australia at the time when immigration was increasing and people were becoming more aware of the range of cultural groups, which evidently influence her works. Due to this, her artworks revolves closely around Australian culture, focusing on themes such as traditional cultures, activities and relationships within a place. Zahalka intends to invent artworks which not only connect to her but to the audience culturally and personally, such as her series of work ‘Welcome to Sydney’ and ‘Hotel Suite’. Zahalka tends to have staged quality within her works, through the process of utilising computer technology to underline her concepts and manipulating imagery, ergo emphasising her intentional meanings, aswell as constructing a temporary studio on location.
The 21st Century appears to be headed towards a future of vast corruption and exploitation as a result of the often inhumane and uncivilised individuals who, over the years have become desensitized to poverty, war, consumerism, racism, mental illnesses and political corruption. As the world moves towards further democracy, and decentralization it is vital that art is given the opportunity to stimulate people’s awareness, participation and judgment. Arts purpose is not only to be a fulfilment of society’s visual needs but is needed be utilised as a function to alert people to society’s problems. Australian born George Gittoes, works within war zones to create confronting paintings, film, photography and prose that frequently portray man’s inhumanity to man. Gordon Bennett, also Australian, paints images that depict his own self questioning about his identity and the injustice towards Aboriginal Australians since the time of settlement.
The East Kimberly region of Western Australia has been depict as a place of ‘grinding poverty, violence and racist exclusion in which so many Aboriginal people in the east Kimberley live, and yet at the same time through art it communicate the beauty and grandeur of their lives. ‘For those trying to communicate through art with the issue of death, harsh, pain and even compassion, were seen as necessary to maintain memories and record of Aboriginal historical events. The thirst for telling such companionate story is not easily interpreted, however, if we look at history we could see the influence of real tradition of aboriginal art emerge.
Australia is a very unique place, along with our multiculturalism there is also a strong heritage surrounding us. At first thought of Australian heritage we think about such landmarks as Uluru, The Sydney harbour bridge and The Sydney opera house, The Great Barrier reef and other internationally recognised places. But our heritage goes much deeper than that; it is far more than outstanding icons. Along with these icons there are also unsung places like the old cattle stations, Aboriginal missions, migrant hostels, War memorials, our unique wetlands and the towns and cities we have built. Adding all of these things together, helps to tell the story of who we are and how we have shaped this land in the unique identity it has today.
Unlike Gordon Bennett, who grew up struggling from his Aboriginal heritage, Tony Albert, a founding member of Queensland's Indigenous art collective proppaNOW explores political, social and cultural issues that are relevant to Indigenous Australian in today’s society. Albert’s artistic practice has a range of media and applications producing 2D wall art, sculpture and installation based works. According to Albert, he began to see the ‘problematic representations of his identity’ (Art Monthly Australia, 2015, p.55) after discovering the work of contemporary Aboriginal artists Tracey Moffat and Gordon
The suburban house, as the film’s setting and sphere of action, is extraordinary partly because it is ‘next-door’ to an airport. The odd layout of this backyard is underlined because their suburb meets the kind of architectural cast-offs often found at the margins of big cities. This mix of the humble backyard with the international vectors of travel, tourism and international trade plays out in the film’s narrative which connects the domestic and the distant. The Castle displays many locations and landscapes easily identified as being unique of Australia- The ‘Aussy’ barbeque and patio setup, greyhound racetrack and poolroom, just to name a few. The neighbours of the Kerrigan’s are a symbol representing the multicultural diversi...
...atures that make Australia what it is today. He uses the words “sunlit plain”, “vision splendid” and “wondrous glory” to provide the reader with an image that represents Australia’s reminiscent landscape. This is done to capture the reader’s thoughts in an attempt to persuade them. Paterson silences the negative aspects of rural life and the positive aspects of city life.
Contemporary art is the art that has been and continues to be created during our lifetimes, which can include and represent the Australian culture, politics and music as well as in art forms such as portrait and landscape. Contemporary art is defined as art that is current, offering a fresh perspective and point of view and often employing new techniques and new media. Current art means work by both emerging and also established artists. Rosalie Gascoigne and Imants Tillers are honoured for their contribution showing the Australian landscape in fresh, new and transformational way. Whilst both are similar in their use of text and original interpretation of our landscape they are vastly different in their approach and creating meaning for their
In countries like Ethiopia, Niger, Haiti and other impoverished countries, adults and children alike sleep on the ground with their livestock, eat once or twice a week, and have to walk miles, barefoot, to access even the dirtiest of water. Americans, and citizens of other first-world countries, would never understand these seemingly surreal conditions. Traveling to any of these countries, one may find that the inhabitants there are not saddened by their state of living. But rather you will see that they have become very inventive, making toy cars out of old bottles and caps, or even using used tires to make a playground. They have learned it is possible to find joy in the things they have — even if it is not much; the following pieces of art
‘Still Life: The Food Bowl’ draws on the still life genre as an artistic tradition that emerged as current agricultural practices were being developed. The sculpture displays a visible message to the audience, that their is a major problem due to the salt rising from the Murray Darling River and by what means Australia being affected by this situation. The Yonetani’s present their artwork as the ideas from the politics to tell of the political war going on about who owns the flowing waters and water distribution. Salinity has posed a major problem for civilisations throughout history, from ancient Mesopotamia over four thousand years ago to present-day Australia. Governments are struggling to address the problem effectively as individuals are
Australia is considered as a young country when comparing to other countries as it has been founded around 200 years ago. Today, it is still in the trouble of some sort of identity crisis, trying to find its true identity. To try to define what really is considered as Australianness means one will have to take the plunge. For instance, in Australia the movie, director Baz Luhrmann made a great effort in telling an epic story of Australia but it still falls into the category of imprudent cliché of Australianness. Now we will look at the poster of Australia the movie then analyse it to interpret in what ways it represents the Australianness.
Utopia and dystopia are terms that are continuously coined by the society they live in. Nonetheless when looking at Utopia within both contexts (renaissance and of the 20th Century) the term can be traced back to Riegl’s conception of art where the latter acts as a device of articulating how man desires to understand the world’. Thro...