Interviewed by Bob Lingard
Bob Lingard: Tim, Vincent Megaw in an essay entitled "Contemporary Aboriginal Art- Dreamtime Discipline or Alien Adulteration" in the catalogue for the Papunya retrospective survey exhibition at Flinders University entitled "Dot and Circle" (16th April- 3rd May, 1985) is critical of the appropriation of Aboriginal style and ideas in the contemporary work of several Australian painters, yourself included. Megaw states, for example, "I am not at all sure how far the genuine concern and interest expressed not only in their writings but also their art by certain nonAboriginal artists is not itself another form of cultural imperialism". Would you respond to this assertion of Megaw's?
Tim Johnson: I think Vincent is wrong, but not totally wrong. There are problems in working with Aboriginality as a subject. Since that essay was published I have talked to him on several occasions and he has softened his position, agreeing that there was no evidence that what we were doing was having a destructive influence on Aboriginal culture. And I think there is evidence that what people like me are doing is having a positive effect. Examples are: collecting Aboriginal art and using it for the benefits of others; providing access to our art world for Aboriginal painters; providing a context in the city for desert Aboriginals and showing that there are people in the city who appreciate their work and are learning from it. This can promote understanding of the Aboriginal situation and culture and promote effective writing about it. I think the positive effects can be demonstrated more easily than the negative effects.
Imperialism, it seems to me, has been there right through Australian history and a... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline