|
Art sales in Indigenous communities provide funds to support a variety of Indigenous health and community empowerment programs that are not currently funded by any other means. Indigenous culture is used by all Australians to build economic and professional bases for activities that include museum and gallery attendance and sales, the ever-increasing trade in the art market, music industry development, dance and theatre, and education programs at all levels. However, a recent Senate Inquiry indicated that current funding, education, legislation, and support to develop sustainable cultural maintenance and development programs run for or by Australian Indigenous communities is inadequate. It is clear that current support to the Indigenous cultural sector is not equivalent to the wider societal benefits. On the 23rd of February 2009, the University of Melbourne and the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation (CCMC) in collaboration with the Australian Commercial Galleries Association (ACGA), the Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT), and the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development hosted the first ever Indigenous Cultural Maintenance Symposium. A key objective of this symposium was to investigate issues raised by the 2007 Senate Report Indigenous Art – Securing the Future, and the subsequent Government response. The symposium brought together a diverse range of people, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders and intellectuals, industry stake-holders, and artists involved in the Australian Indigenous arts and crafts sector. Indigenous representation in the event was strong, as two thirds of the speakers were Indigenous. Jason Eades, CEO of the KHT and a Gunai man from Orbost, presented an opening address, which followed a Welcome by the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Glyn Davis, and an Acknowledgement of Country presented by Michelle Evans. Eades voiced the importance of protecting Indigenous artists against unfair trading practices. He discussed the need for support for artists to protect themselves and their art from unscrupulous art dealers and art practices. Eades identified that “a strong and healthy community has a strong and healthy culture”, and part of the Art Centres’ duties is the intergenerational transmission of that culture through education and training. There was a lively discussion following his talk that focused on the feelings of disconnection experienced by many Aboriginal youth from their culture. It was suggested that the internet may be used as a tool for reestablishing connection, as it had become a communications medium for the new generation. The day was divided into lectures and discussions surrounding three topics: Programs and Industry Responses, and Indigenous Identity, Art and Culture; Community and Artists; and Education, Scholarship and Knowledge. In the first lecture session, Beverly Knight (ACGA President) gave an overview of the ACGA’s role and participation in the Senate Inquiry. Knight believes that the ACGA can play an important role in education, participation, fair representation and development of Australian Indigenous artists’ careers. The need for the Australian government to act more decisively to reduce the exploitation of artists was mentioned. Lydia Miller (Executive Director) of the Australia Council (AC) provided an overview of the AC’s role in the arts industry. Miller spoke of issues in creating supportive infrastructure for Indigenous Australians, and defining goals and objectives to support key organisations. She sees art and cultural activities as an asset of modern communities which need to be developed through said infrastructure and funding. Christine Davidson (Executive Officer) of the Association of Northern, Kimberley, and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA), said that ANKAAA recognises the important relationship Indigenous Australians have in that region to their heritage, to sea and to country, which is at the core of their shared activity. Davison stated that ANKAAA are pushing for proper training for Indigenous people as Art Centre managers to ensure the continuation of these centres for the benefits of the community. While principally a place of producing and selling artwork, Art Centres also provide an opportunity for money to go back into communities and can function as a place of education, training, and a museum or “keeping” place. Professor Marcia Langton (Foundation Chair of Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne) was of the opinion that the current Aboriginal identity is “multi-plex”, not solely Aboriginal but a combination of many influences. Langton also outlined the issue of ethics and unscrupulous practice in the art industry, including art fraud, authentication and provenance issues. While believing that people need to take individual responsibility, she stated that Indigenous artists also need to be given the means to be able to decline quick cash payments. One possible solution is to have an authentication label and ethical codes for Indigenous artworks, which would help serve to educate buyers on their provenance. The need for a policing mechanism and penalties to those who do not attend registration requirements was also discussed. Following the session, talk centred upon the power of consumers, both to exploit but also to make a difference. Official contracts were mentioned as a measure to help prevent exploitation of artists and consumers. The role of information technology in bringing communities together to foster communication about this issue was raised. It is believed that information technology is currently not used to its full potential due to inaccessibility in remote communities. Regarding contractual models, it was made clear that the design would specifically be for Australian Indigenous people and not copied from overseas models. The Wilin Centre’s Michelle Evans introduced the next group of talks, focused on community and artists. As Banduk Marika discussed in this session, when social issues are high on the agenda, the creation of art cannot always be a priority. Marika, a Yolngu elder from Yirrkala in Northeast Arnhem Land and Director on the Collections Council of Australia board, spoke about how she sees the relationship between country, community and art. Aboriginal identity is often represented through art and is part of the language of the community. However, as Marika stated, country comes first before art and an understanding of the Aboriginal art community cannot be obtained without first looking at social issues plaguing that community. Elaine Terrick, Indigenous artist from East Gippsland, spoke about some of these issues, including her experiences imparting traditional knowledge to Indigenous youth. In order to maintain the culture of Indigenous communities, traditional knowledge must be transferred from the elders to Aboriginal youth. In Terrick’s experience, she has found this to be difficult to do, due to a lack of enthusiasm from the Aboriginal youth themselves. “How do we make art exciting enough so that kids will want to walk with us?” she asked. Terrick stated that following the traditional arts of one’s ancestors is of great importance and she is frustrated that while Aboriginal communities have a strong voice, they are not managing the communities themselves. She gave the example in East Gippsland, where Aboriginal people do not have administrative control of their own organisations. Evans discussed the ways in which the VCA’s Wilin Centre is unique in its education opportunities for Indigenous artists and related areas. Access to education, such as the Indigenous Arts Management course, fosters community by focusing not only on students but also the wider Indigenous arts sector. Ben McKeown, Melbourne based artist and descendent from the Wirangu people, is a VCA Masters of Visual Arts graduate and received academic support from the Wilin Centre during his studies. He spoke to Associate Professor Robyn Sloggett, Director of CCMC, about his background and art practice. McKeown discussed how his connection to country has been affected by the constant moving of his family in his youth. For him family and community support is of great importance to artists and one of his reasons for attending VCA was to learn to articulate himself as an artist. McKeown’s work changes to suit the environment, combining not only his Aboriginal culture, but his experiences at large. One of McKeown's paintings, titled 'I Wonder', was used the production of posters, brochures and other forms of advertisement for the event. This session revealed the dynamic culture of Indigenous arts and demonstrated different views and approaches, both in the meaning and creation of works of art. Recognising the different requirements for different Aboriginal people was reiterated. Lyndon Ormond-Parker and Gary Pappin from eMob spoke about their work documenting and cataloguing Aboriginal artifacts and human remains held in international collections, making this information accessible to Australian Aboriginal people through digital technology. The project aims to encourage Aboriginal artists to reclaim their cultural birthright and revive connections with material held overseas, thereby rejuvenating cultural practices in relation to that material. The database has been created in consultation with Aboriginal communities Australia wide, however it is not just for Aboriginal people, but rather an opportunity to bridge the gap in the cultural exchange with other artists in the country. Parker and Pappin hope to extend the database to include information relating to fundraising opportunities, and scholarships with universities. Judith Ryan, Senior Curator at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) for Indigenous Art was the final speaker of the symposium. She spoke about the important work the NGV does to research and document the provenance of all Indigenous artworks held in their collection. With regards to new acquisitions, it is NGV policy to buy work only when the provenance is known, and they prefer to purchase from Art Centres and ethically represented Indigenous artists. Over the breadth of the symposium we heard from a variety of speakers who presented different views and experiences, and there are of course many more views from people across the country. As with all living culture, the Aboriginal culture is constantly evolving and adapting to modernisation. New tools may be used alongside traditional tools, and yet the final product will be no less Aboriginal. The symposium had the desired outcome of being beneficial for all concerned with many participants expressing an interest in continuing discussions in the near future. The invaluable information and recommendations gathered from the Indigenous Cultural Maintenance Symposium will soon be made available in a formal publication of proceedings. About the authors Jen Fortune, Kelly Leahey, Jane Manallack, Vanessa Pitt, Charlotte Walker, and Nurul (Noni) Zachri are all students of the Masters of Cultural Materials Conservation program at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. These six students, under the guidance of Associate Professor Robyn Sloggett, developed and managed the Indigenous Cultural Maintenance Symposium. ▲TOP
To save this article please
Download this article
Permanent link to this resource: http://www.e-conservationline.com/content/view/753 |
||||||
