We all know our perceptions of colour are subjective, so how can we describe, share and move through a world that each of us sees differently? And how does privilege, culture and personal history mix together to impact those perceptions?
Green on Red
NAIDOC
Featuring
Carmen Glynn-Braun
Amala Groom
Nicole Monks
This 'mixing' becomes the focus of this our next show GREEN ON RED, with three formidable First Nations women tackling the cultural complexities of belonging and resistance. Each artist is engaged with her own process of decolonising through their artistic and cultural work and each is worthy of your attention. Co-inciding with NAIDOCs 2018 theme 'Because of her, we can!’, The Bearded Tit stands in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who fought and continue to fight, for justice, equal rights, rights to country, for law and justice, access to education, employment and to maintain and celebrate culture, language, music and art.
In our STREETSPACE, Southern Arrernte, Kaytetye and Anmatyerre woman Carmen Glynn-Braun is displaying her paint ‘skins’ - frozen, delicate variations in brown, hung in rows like tanned pelts for grading and further processing. Inside on our TAXIDERMY T.V. (with sound to be continued in our BATHROOM), Amala Groom's 'The Invisibility of Blackness' acts as a defiant assertion of her identity, and in our CURIOSITY CABINET, her 'Totes Appropes' bags poke fun at Chanel’s widely criticised $1930 limited edition luxury boomerang in a serious effort to address the ongoing problem of cultural appropriation and lack of legal protections for First Nations arts and cultures. Out back in THE SALON you can look into Yamatji Wajarri artist Nicole Monks’ 'Invisible' mirror, and in THE LANEWAY we have 'FAIRER 2018’, a collaboration between Nicole Monks & Amala Groom who pay tribute to the ‘Boycott ’88’ bicentennial protests, 30 years on.
There is a lot to grapple with here, but it’s what Aboriginal people have been dealing with for 230 years. It’s time to acknowledge and celebrate First Nations women and their role in decolonising mind and body.
The Bearded Tit acknowledges that this exhibition takes place on Aboriginal land which was never ceded. We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of this land and pay our respects to Elders past and present.
Image: Amala Groom & Nicole Monks, 'FAIRER 2018', 2018.
