Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art
Visual arts programs of previous Adelaide Festivals have been criticised for their lack of Indigenous content. While Australia's 'social laboratory' has always taken such criticisms seriously, it was not until2000 that Robyn Archer's festival actually undertook to address (and redress) the previously insubstantial participation of Indigenous Australians. Beyond the Pale, the fifth Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art curated by Brenda L Croft was entirely the work of Indigenous artists. There were two other events/exhibitions, in particular, which in varying ways complemented Beyond the Pale. From Appropriation to Appreciation curated by Christine Nicholls at the Flinders University Art Museum looked at the ways in which artists from Margaret Preston to Imants Tillers have been influenced or inspired by Indigenous artists 'borrowing motifs, styles and media for their own work'. A series of forums running during the festival discussed this controversial activity and included the late Elizabeth Durack whose infamous paintings under the name of Eddie Burrup have continued to provide a wealth of ethical questions in respect of Indigenous copyright.
Also during the 2000 Festival, the South Australian Museum's acclaimed Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery opened with a permanent exhibition so comprehensive as to remind visitors of the depth of understanding required to fully appreciate contemporary Indigenous art. Here we are presented with a vast array of significant cultural artefacts that do not necessarily possess the 'decorative appeal' of those ·contemporary works which are so irresistible to the 'white eye'. Seen in the context of these complementary exhibitions, the challenges inherent in Beyond the Pale were amplified. Appropriation aside, the questions remain, is it enough to simply 'appreciate', and of what exactly does our appreciation consist?
Upon first entering the Art Gallery... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline