Warwick Thornton

After discovering that Warwick Thornton directed Samson and Delilah, I have started to do some research on the man. I originally discovered Thornton at the Samstag gallery earlier this year with his 'Stop the Gap'3D piece of an Aboriginal man floating on a cross. I was quite happy with they exhibition as I got a free bucket of popcorn with it ( maybe just a little joke Thornton wanted to throw in). This work was quite moving as it crossed the issues of religion in the aboriginal community and the relation it plays with the non indigenous community. There were many other artworks on display in this exhibition and it was real clear that there is still a massive gap between indigenous and non indigenous communities and that maybe this will one day be hopefully closed.
A quote about the exhibition from Kryztoff " idea of closing the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous worlds, whether as another Government slogan or through exhibitions such as this, is a worthy goal (as I am unsure what an alternative is that is also worthy) and this exhibition is a valuable contribution to that goal."
Below is a news link to this exhibition http://www.kryztoff.com/RAW/?tag=warwick-thornton

Image from http://www.kryztoff.com/RAW/?attachment_id=2640 (2011) A still from Warwick Thornton's Stranded

Another thought i was pondering (after all the questions that were put before me at the first lecture) about is I wonder how contempoary Indigenous Artists feel about their ancestors work being on display in museums as anthropological collections. Should they have these peices recognised as art as much as a Da Vinci ?

I found this quote interesting

"How do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, previously captive to the anthropological gaze and to unequal power relations, not only interrogate the histories that defined them as 'other' and ‘lesser’, but also regain their voice and agency over historic cultural objects that reside in collections around the world" (http://www.artlink.com.au/issues/3120/artlink-indigenous-231-br-beauty-and-terror/#articles) (2011)

Samson and Delilah

Today I watched Samson and Delilah, a film by Warwick Thornton. First thing I have to say about this film is that it is heart wrenchenly sad and I kind of have this real sense of shame hanging over my shoulder after watching it.
Samson and Delilah is a film based upon two Aboriginal teenagers in a remote community in centreal Australia. The two teenagers are persacuted by their cumminity after the death of Delilah's Grandmother and flee to Alice Springs. In Alice, they find more persecution from White people in Alice Springs and after an incident where Delilah gets kidnaps and raped they both results to Petrol sniffing. ( Samson had been petrol sniffing since the beginging of the film). As the Petrol sniffing gets worse, Samson doesnt realize when Delilah gets hit by a car. Samson gives up on life and sits for weeks on end under a bridge and sniffs petrol continuously until Delilah returns with Samsons Brother from their community and takes them home. Delilah takes Samson to a remote station house to rehibilate himself from the petrol sniffing. Life at the end of fim is better for Samson and Delilah when they are togethor and rebuilding their lives.

I highly recommend seeing this film as it really opens your eyes to what is happening in central Australia.
Check out more information at:
http://www.samsonanddelilah.com.au/

27-07-2011- First Lecture

Hello, for my Indigenous Culture course for semester 5 this year i need to produce a blog that will correlate with my studies for this course. For this course I need to involve myself within different forms of Aboriginal culture such as films, art, wrtiting and performance and then reflect my thoughts apon the matter.

Today we had our first lecture and having known really nothing about Aboriginal art before, I have learnt quite alot in just an hour. Things that interested me were the Wonjina (the oldest figurative painting in the world-85-65,000 years old) and the introduction and acceptance of Aborginal Art as art and not as folk art or part of anthrapology studies. I was also intrigued about the way aboriginal art in the 21st century is challenging the notion of the identity of Aboriginal art (google Proppa Now for more info).

For homework this week i have rented Samson and Delilah from the local video store (along with 127 hours for a bit of gore). This should get me started on surrounding myself within Australias Indigenous culture.