Indigenous Art, Culture & Design: Spirit in the Land Exhibition

I recently went to visit the 'Spirit in the Land' exhibition held at the Flinders University City Gallery. The exhibition explores the connection between eleven Australian artists, of historical and contemporary context and of Indigenous and non-Indigenous decent. The exhibition highlights their special appreciation for and their engagement with the spiritual ethos and power of the land, and how it contributes to forming a sense of identity.

The exhibition was founded on the premisis that artists who have an affinity with the land provide us with understanding of its meaning and truth. I feel that this statement only leads us back to the argument that Indigenous art can only be fully appreciated when provided with the meaning of the artwork. I personally believe that whilst the meaning and background of an artwork further enhances our understanting of it, it is not citical in appreciating an artwork purely for its aesthetic values.

Also of particular interest to me was the decision to exhibit the works of Indigenous artists alongside the works of non-Indigenous artists. Perhaps why this was of great interest to me was that I recalled discussing in one of our tutes the way in which Tasmanian gallery, Mona, was challenging the way in which art should be displayed and what art ought to look like. I personally believe that this juxta-position between the artworks and its creators cause the auidence to think about things more thoroughly.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition. Below are examples of some of the works I found to be most appealing.