MASTERSTROKE // perspectives on place
Justin Trendall ‘Darlinghurst’, c2010 (screenprint on cotton drill)
Justin Trendall ‘Darlinghurst’, c2010 (screenprint on cotton drill)
Martu Artists – Ngamaru Bidu, Jakayu Biljabu, Bowja Patricia Butt, Kumpaya Girgirba, Noelene Girgirba, Kanu Nancy Taylor, Ngalangka Nola Taylor, Muuki Taylor, Wokka Taylor
Martu Artists ‘Kalyu’, c2014 (synthetic polymer paint on linen)
Tom Nicholson ‘Cartoons for Joseph Selleny’, c2014 (charcoal on paper)
Tom Nicholson ‘Cartoons for Joseph Selleny’, c2014 (charcoal on wall)
Exhibitions currently at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) include the 23rd Biennale of Sydney: rīvus, Primavera 2021 and Bonita Ely. These were all interesting with the artwork styles and use of mediums varying between all the themed exhibits.
These highlights are from the MCA Collection: Perspectives On Place which explores the social and physical aspects of places. Justin Trendall’s Darlinghurst stood out for me as the culture of Sydney in the 1980s is represented in a linear street map of lines and words. It is a piece that brings back nostalgic feelings of venues long gone as well as listing many art and and musical references. His way of connecting these ideas also mimics how different recollections form our memories.
The vibrant and symbolic Kalyu is a work by nine artists that depicts Karlamilyi National Park. A landscape of desert, river, waterways, fires, plants and trees defined by repeated lines, circles and dots in neon tones with touches of pastel colours. It is also a painted protest by the Martu people against the proposed uranium mine in this area that will threaten the water systems and biodiversity.
Tom Nicholson’s Cartoons for Joseph Selleny envelopes a whole room with a wall drawing across three walls and the fourth wall hanging multiple large-scale charcoal drawings. It depicts the story of Austrian ship SMS Novara and is named after the ship’s artist Joseph Selleny (who drew the colony, flora, fauna and portraits of Aboriginal people). Nicholson’s installation reflects on colonisation and the violence that comes with it. He uses the historical technique of repeated pouncing, where outlines are perforated and then charcoal dust wrapped in cheesecloth is beaten against the surface to create dotted outlines.
All these artists have created metaphors around environment and community. They show how places are woven into our different perspectives on living together and how to map out changes.