This was an exhibition held at the Flinders University City Gallery which i went and visited. I found that it had quite a variety of different types of artwork, from sculptures, landscape paintings, more abstract paintings to paintings that were uniquely Aboriginal.
I was glad to be able to see and experience paintings by such artists as Rover Thomas, whose paintings had such an intense feel and rich colours as golds and deep browns, yet they were somewhat unwelcoming, like the places they were painted of were somewhere you wouldn't like to ever be in.
There were some paintings by an artist, Fred Williams, who I had never heard of before, but his paintings, which were all part of a polyptych, "Lal Lal Falls", I found were really captivating. They depicted landscape scenery of waterfalls and it was written that the locations chosen were selected for their interesting geological structures. Williams paintings were more abstract than some of the other paintings in the exhibtion, but I found that his stood out for me. The colours were bright, and yet cool at the same time, and one made me wish that I could go jump into the pool that lay at the bottom of the fall. I think Williams paintings were some of the few more welcoming ones, and made you want to be there in that location and see it with your own eyes.
John Olsen's paintings were a few which I think had that more appealing feel to them as well, as the colours used didnt have that dry feel and the scenes of the landscapes painted seemed inviting, unlike some of the paintings that were done by Russel Drysdale and Sidney Nolen. Paintings by these two artists seems dry and burnt out, unpleasant places where you would rather not be. And yet they depict the dry and harsh Australian lifestyle that some of us do have to live through, and survive in.
Emily Kame Kngwanneye's paintings were some of my favourites. Their sheer size and styles being so unique and different. I really enjoyed her "Kame Colour II", the colours showing of the different seasons with its rich reds, yellows, oranges and even pink and whites, the flowing lines tracery of the meandering yam lines "mapping out" the land. I like how her paintings also encompasses everything to do with her and her upbringing and custodial responsibilities into her artwork.
Overall I think the exhibition was very education for me and had some amazing work which I otherwise would not have usually gone and visited.
