I was lucky enough to attend the opening of this exhibition and to hear Gordon Hookey
talk about his paintings. The friend who alerted me to this possibility commented that the
Australian work dominated the exhibitions of Washington DC artists on the first floor, and
I felt no need to argue with him. Barry
AUSSIE TRIENNIAL, SEARED BY THE PAST
By Jessica Dawson
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, September 11, 2009
Yes, the show fits the mold of nearly every bi-, tri- and quadrennial out there. Sure,
emerging artists edge up against choice selections by art-world elders. That is, after all,
the norm.
Despite this, "Australian Indigenous Art Triennial: Culture Warriors" is one of the most
revolutionary exhibitions of its ilk. Though the show acts as the most civil of diplomats, it
also subverts expectations; more important, its very existence acknowledges a country's
history of state-mandated racism.
Both here in America -- in an abbreviated version that opened Tuesday at the Katzen Arts
Center, the show's only U.S. venue -- and during the its two-year Australian tour that
began in 2007, "Culture Warriors" enacts artistic diplomacy of the highest order. Its
ambassadorial aim comes out of the remarkable circumstances of its conception: It is the
very first survey of contemporary Aboriginal art.
Organized by Brenda Croft, senior curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander art at
the National Gallery of Australia, the show collects 90 works by 31 artists who count Oz's
earliest residents in their family tree. (In previous Australian incarnations, the show
included nearly twice as many artworks; the artist roster remained the same.)
Continued at (you may have to sign in):
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Barry Alpert
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