Throwing those heavy drapes WIDE open again. I absolutely love reading about this stuff and pointing my friends to your analyses. Why aren't any ABC journalists picking this up? I'm guessing most 'taxpayers' wouldn't have a clue what's going on. The hypocrisy is gob smacking. (Oh - don't worry, I think I've just answered my own question...)
Don't feel personally excluded by Prof Browning, John. He long ago made a point of excluding my writing on Aboriginal art when guest editing the annual Artlink Indigenous issue.
And you missed the great man launching Blue in Sydney, where he revealed that criticism of the APYACC mob was racism. Apart from that, it emerged that the Blak world doesn't really need its Black origins any longer.
Just opened my in-box and out popped : Regional Arts Fund: $1.08 Million Fuels 47 New Projects, an announcement from Regional Arts Australia extolling the latest recipients in the new grant round. There seems to be a fairly prominent ahem, theme emerging...
Highlights Across The Country
Across the Northern Territory, seven projects will support everything from remote First Nations musicians through MusicNT's long-running Bush Bands Program ($25,000) to the premiere of Desert Hothouse by GUTS Dance Central Australia at the Araluen Arts Centre ($29,507), and a new independent theatre season in Mparntwe/Alice Springs presented by Jasmine Story through Theatre Makers Presents ($30,000). Jacqueline Marriott's Freefall - a solo theatre work exploring neonatal intensive care and maternal mental health developed from personal journal entries after an emergency twin birth - will premiere in Alice Springs with support of $20,658.
In Queensland, highlights include the Remote Voices Australia project by Elvis Kernaghan ($24,403), bringing co-designed songwriting and recording workshops to students in some of the state's most remote schools, and Longreach P&C Association's From the Bush to the Big Stage - QPAC 2026 ($30,000), which will bring 100 rural and remote students to perform at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Joe Geia's Sing for the Black tour ($30,000) will present his celebrated production From Rations to Wages to Treaty across the country, with both First Nations and non-Indigenous audiences calling it essential viewing.
South Australian projects include Sonya Rankine's Lakun Mi:mini - On Country Creative Development ($30,000), grounded in her Ngarrindjeri matrilineal cultural connection, and the Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Media Kungka Tjuta Music Project ($26,220), a six-week program of women-focused music residencies across six APY Lands communities. The Bowerbird Collective will tour Kaurna Yarta - The Seasons to six regional communities across SA in free outdoor performances ($25,000).
Victoria's funded projects range from Arena Theatre Co's Country & Belonging: On Country ($30,000) - an immersive exhibition developed through three years of First Nations-led residencies in Greater Bendigo primary schools - to PowerLine by (it's no) drama ($30,000), a large-scale inclusive performance work premiering at the inaugural coLAB Inclusive Arts Festival before travelling to Melbourne for International Day of People with Disabilities.
In Western Australia, Camera Story's The Next Step: A Level Up ($30,000) will support Kimberley-based First Nations artists Mary-Lou Orliyarli Divilli and Nuriah Jadai to develop new bodies of work for their first solo exhibitions, while the Wagyl Kaip Southern Noongar Aboriginal Corporation's Every Stitch Holds Country ($30,000) will honour truth-telling about the Carrolup children of the Stolen Generation through storytelling and on-Country creativity.
Almost zero mention of any other regional grant recipients who obviously lack "indigeneity".
You've just taken over John Singleton's position at Regional Arts Australia, definitely a jingle in there somewhere!
On a more 'serious note' people also ask:
"Is positive discrimination legal in Australia?
The general position in Australian law is that discrimination in any form against a person, which is due to certain protected attributes, is considered to be unlawful. So, it follows that “positive discrimination”, notwithstanding its best intentions, can still be considered unlawful discrimination." (from https://www.workplacelaw.com.au/about-us)
Fair dues.... me too. I guess I'm just absolutely over the idea(l) that positively discriminating in favour of one group over another is necessarily a viable pathway to overcoming inequality. It has unfortunately become tokenistic in terms of contemporary art in the Australian context. It is troubling that it has become so blatant and ubiquitous, and yet it has become al-nigh impossible to call it out let alone discuss it without being seen as a hard-core racist...
One wonders why such a narrow approach is taken by such a worthwhile journal as The Blue Art Journal given that most of those who collect this art are not indigenous but serious art collectors here and overseas. We want to hear the views of others on these works. If this art is to gain a wide recognition there needs to be an articulate appraisal of the work not one limited to a small group of insiders. The insiders have a role in explaining works but other outside views should be able to be expressed without constraint. I am very unsure that I ‘understand’ the iconography of medieval church art (in fact I am sure I do not)but that doesn’t mean I cannot appreciate it without that understanding, and express my reasons for my views.
It’s interesting to note that if these ideologues and bigots had been gatekeepers back in the day, they would have likely gone after Albert Namatjira for being trained by (gasp) white fella Reg Batterbee, and for using western techniques.
Thank God they never had the chance. Namatjira emerged as a genuine artist and unifying force, with an understanding of the transformative power that unites artists everywhere, using his indigenous vision and western technique, to reveal landscape in a way Australians hadn’t really seen before. I love his quote:
“You know, before I was an artist, all I ever saw were the tracks on the ground. We didn’t have time to look up at all. The tracks were our life, eyes down all the time. But now I see the beauty and it’s changed my life completely.”
Ah how I wish there were more artists just like him around, these days.
Visiting the Juno Gemes / Robert Adamson show enabled us to walk through the lived experience of the artists. I hope the exhibition travels beyond the our local 'wilds'. Juno had an excellent conversation/talk with Stephen Feneley, about the trajectory of their lives and how it was interwoven into their work. The ACP in Paddington used to provide a regular meeting space for these types of conversations - their cataloging of the dialog and context around artists' work was so important.
John we contributed to a show at Samstag on roughly the theme of the Flinders Ranges
The resulting exhibition was about 50-50 indigenous and non indigenous artists.
To our eye it was a good beginning of walking together in country .
And the exhibition as a whole did look fantastic.
We approached some publications re could you write something about the show ect
Answer was because of the indigenous component any author would have to be indigenous (- we felt , … OK .. so be it ) but twist was there was no approved indigenous author available full stop.
result of all this was the exhibition didn’t get a review at all
They could have asked a white critic to write about the white artists & ignore the black ones. That would fit within Professor Dan's new segregationist rules... although I confess I wouldn't have agreed to be part of it. It's a great example of the way a pernicious ideology undermines everyone.
A parallel for me at least was the debacle in London back in 2023 when Sam Kerr and partner were taken to a police station in London severely inebriated after a big night out and abused the officer interviewing them of being “fucking stupid and white” after he doubted her claim of being abducted by a taxi driver. It's one thing to doubt the intelligence of the plods in question but this was an unequivocally racial slur.
She then played the race card this time in her own favour by berating him with “This is a racial fucking thing. You are believing that guy out the front over £50. Listen to the fucking recording, this stupid cunt wouldn’t let us go.”
It seems like a long bow to draw in relation to the discussion here but I'm attempting to demonstrate that racism is racism no matter whose mouth it comes out of. I was appalled that she was found innocent by a court in the UK and that sports-lovers everywhere rejoiced.
Browning had a seemingly gentle and sensitive presence on radio but it was always edged with a thinly veiled 'us and them' stance both in relation to queerness and Blak identity.
What a sad situation . This is not the way that you unify a nation . Do the "de-colonisers " expect us to get a dark tan or go back to the UK or Europe . What would happen to the Asian migrants ?
Thank you for the piece on David Hockney . When I was at Art School in the late 60's he was a God for us . His brilliant composition and fluid line in figure drawing was something we all tried to emulate . The true heir to Ingres . He was also a Wagnerite , played at full volume in his car as he drove in the Los Angeles hills .
Throwing those heavy drapes WIDE open again. I absolutely love reading about this stuff and pointing my friends to your analyses. Why aren't any ABC journalists picking this up? I'm guessing most 'taxpayers' wouldn't have a clue what's going on. The hypocrisy is gob smacking. (Oh - don't worry, I think I've just answered my own question...)
You'll be waiting a long time for the ABC to say a critical word about ANY of this stuff, but I keep hoping they'll come to the party.
Don't feel personally excluded by Prof Browning, John. He long ago made a point of excluding my writing on Aboriginal art when guest editing the annual Artlink Indigenous issue.
And you missed the great man launching Blue in Sydney, where he revealed that criticism of the APYACC mob was racism. Apart from that, it emerged that the Blak world doesn't really need its Black origins any longer.
He's a model of consistency. He's always been a big APYAAC fan, preferring the 'racism' argument to any amount of evidence of misbehaviour.
Just opened my in-box and out popped : Regional Arts Fund: $1.08 Million Fuels 47 New Projects, an announcement from Regional Arts Australia extolling the latest recipients in the new grant round. There seems to be a fairly prominent ahem, theme emerging...
Highlights Across The Country
Across the Northern Territory, seven projects will support everything from remote First Nations musicians through MusicNT's long-running Bush Bands Program ($25,000) to the premiere of Desert Hothouse by GUTS Dance Central Australia at the Araluen Arts Centre ($29,507), and a new independent theatre season in Mparntwe/Alice Springs presented by Jasmine Story through Theatre Makers Presents ($30,000). Jacqueline Marriott's Freefall - a solo theatre work exploring neonatal intensive care and maternal mental health developed from personal journal entries after an emergency twin birth - will premiere in Alice Springs with support of $20,658.
In Queensland, highlights include the Remote Voices Australia project by Elvis Kernaghan ($24,403), bringing co-designed songwriting and recording workshops to students in some of the state's most remote schools, and Longreach P&C Association's From the Bush to the Big Stage - QPAC 2026 ($30,000), which will bring 100 rural and remote students to perform at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Joe Geia's Sing for the Black tour ($30,000) will present his celebrated production From Rations to Wages to Treaty across the country, with both First Nations and non-Indigenous audiences calling it essential viewing.
South Australian projects include Sonya Rankine's Lakun Mi:mini - On Country Creative Development ($30,000), grounded in her Ngarrindjeri matrilineal cultural connection, and the Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Media Kungka Tjuta Music Project ($26,220), a six-week program of women-focused music residencies across six APY Lands communities. The Bowerbird Collective will tour Kaurna Yarta - The Seasons to six regional communities across SA in free outdoor performances ($25,000).
Victoria's funded projects range from Arena Theatre Co's Country & Belonging: On Country ($30,000) - an immersive exhibition developed through three years of First Nations-led residencies in Greater Bendigo primary schools - to PowerLine by (it's no) drama ($30,000), a large-scale inclusive performance work premiering at the inaugural coLAB Inclusive Arts Festival before travelling to Melbourne for International Day of People with Disabilities.
In Western Australia, Camera Story's The Next Step: A Level Up ($30,000) will support Kimberley-based First Nations artists Mary-Lou Orliyarli Divilli and Nuriah Jadai to develop new bodies of work for their first solo exhibitions, while the Wagyl Kaip Southern Noongar Aboriginal Corporation's Every Stitch Holds Country ($30,000) will honour truth-telling about the Carrolup children of the Stolen Generation through storytelling and on-Country creativity.
Almost zero mention of any other regional grant recipients who obviously lack "indigeneity".
First Nations First in action!
You've just taken over John Singleton's position at Regional Arts Australia, definitely a jingle in there somewhere!
On a more 'serious note' people also ask:
"Is positive discrimination legal in Australia?
The general position in Australian law is that discrimination in any form against a person, which is due to certain protected attributes, is considered to be unlawful. So, it follows that “positive discrimination”, notwithstanding its best intentions, can still be considered unlawful discrimination." (from https://www.workplacelaw.com.au/about-us)
This is outside of my field of expertise
Fair dues.... me too. I guess I'm just absolutely over the idea(l) that positively discriminating in favour of one group over another is necessarily a viable pathway to overcoming inequality. It has unfortunately become tokenistic in terms of contemporary art in the Australian context. It is troubling that it has become so blatant and ubiquitous, and yet it has become al-nigh impossible to call it out let alone discuss it without being seen as a hard-core racist...
The sad lack of critical appraisal of indigenous art has all been covered by the great Nicolas Rothwell. See for example: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/culture/aboriginal-art-in-decline-as-critics-and-judges-hold-back/news-story/e7078639a492f6f0b713e9f7c2920d28 .
One wonders why such a narrow approach is taken by such a worthwhile journal as The Blue Art Journal given that most of those who collect this art are not indigenous but serious art collectors here and overseas. We want to hear the views of others on these works. If this art is to gain a wide recognition there needs to be an articulate appraisal of the work not one limited to a small group of insiders. The insiders have a role in explaining works but other outside views should be able to be expressed without constraint. I am very unsure that I ‘understand’ the iconography of medieval church art (in fact I am sure I do not)but that doesn’t mean I cannot appreciate it without that understanding, and express my reasons for my views.
Agreed. It doesn't make much sense to be so insular when Aboriginal art is being marketed to the world.
Fantastic piece and well said, John.
It’s interesting to note that if these ideologues and bigots had been gatekeepers back in the day, they would have likely gone after Albert Namatjira for being trained by (gasp) white fella Reg Batterbee, and for using western techniques.
Thank God they never had the chance. Namatjira emerged as a genuine artist and unifying force, with an understanding of the transformative power that unites artists everywhere, using his indigenous vision and western technique, to reveal landscape in a way Australians hadn’t really seen before. I love his quote:
“You know, before I was an artist, all I ever saw were the tracks on the ground. We didn’t have time to look up at all. The tracks were our life, eyes down all the time. But now I see the beauty and it’s changed my life completely.”
Ah how I wish there were more artists just like him around, these days.
incisive as usual
Visiting the Juno Gemes / Robert Adamson show enabled us to walk through the lived experience of the artists. I hope the exhibition travels beyond the our local 'wilds'. Juno had an excellent conversation/talk with Stephen Feneley, about the trajectory of their lives and how it was interwoven into their work. The ACP in Paddington used to provide a regular meeting space for these types of conversations - their cataloging of the dialog and context around artists' work was so important.
Thrilling news - Blue Art Journal is seeking board members, not necessarily, but preferentially Indigenous identifying.
Odd that this new entity set out without a complete board.
John we contributed to a show at Samstag on roughly the theme of the Flinders Ranges
The resulting exhibition was about 50-50 indigenous and non indigenous artists.
To our eye it was a good beginning of walking together in country .
And the exhibition as a whole did look fantastic.
We approached some publications re could you write something about the show ect
Answer was because of the indigenous component any author would have to be indigenous (- we felt , … OK .. so be it ) but twist was there was no approved indigenous author available full stop.
result of all this was the exhibition didn’t get a review at all
Sorry hit wrong button
I strongly believe in walking together
But some just love building fences just love controlling… fuck them
They could have asked a white critic to write about the white artists & ignore the black ones. That would fit within Professor Dan's new segregationist rules... although I confess I wouldn't have agreed to be part of it. It's a great example of the way a pernicious ideology undermines everyone.
I could also describe what they are creating as a ‘ cartel ‘
A parallel for me at least was the debacle in London back in 2023 when Sam Kerr and partner were taken to a police station in London severely inebriated after a big night out and abused the officer interviewing them of being “fucking stupid and white” after he doubted her claim of being abducted by a taxi driver. It's one thing to doubt the intelligence of the plods in question but this was an unequivocally racial slur.
She then played the race card this time in her own favour by berating him with “This is a racial fucking thing. You are believing that guy out the front over £50. Listen to the fucking recording, this stupid cunt wouldn’t let us go.”
It seems like a long bow to draw in relation to the discussion here but I'm attempting to demonstrate that racism is racism no matter whose mouth it comes out of. I was appalled that she was found innocent by a court in the UK and that sports-lovers everywhere rejoiced.
Browning had a seemingly gentle and sensitive presence on radio but it was always edged with a thinly veiled 'us and them' stance both in relation to queerness and Blak identity.
What a sad situation . This is not the way that you unify a nation . Do the "de-colonisers " expect us to get a dark tan or go back to the UK or Europe . What would happen to the Asian migrants ?
Thank you for the piece on David Hockney . When I was at Art School in the late 60's he was a God for us . His brilliant composition and fluid line in figure drawing was something we all tried to emulate . The true heir to Ingres . He was also a Wagnerite , played at full volume in his car as he drove in the Los Angeles hills .
So, are "old, white men" not allowed to buy and collect Indigenous art because they, you know,
"wouldn't understand it". Yikes, there goes most of the market.
Oh no, Simon. The colonisers are obliged to buy the art to assuage their white guilt. The Blak critics will tell them what to buy.