'Fiery Passions' article - Reflection

I am left a little shaken after reading John McDonald's article for The Age, which illustrated a fiery argument between Indigenous artists and non-Indigenous Australians at an art forum in Cairns. I believe that Indigenous artists have a right to express their anger at mainstream Australia, but to be done so in a courteous fashion. Exclaiming statements against the 'boat people' only exacerbates the problem that has been existent since the beginning of colonial Australia. Being mixed race myself, I find it insensitive for an Indigenous Australian to desire equality but to dismiss the right for other races to live in Australia, who may be escaping similar situations of inequality. In order for this nation to move forward, both parties need to put things in the past. We can never forget, but Indigenous Australia can always forgive. I think that mainstream Australia is very aware of the past, and is accepting towards a future that is inclusive of all races. There will be no progression if either party continues to use the past as ammunition to fuel the racial fire. Unfortunately in answering the question, Indigenous artists who express their anger towards mainstream Australia does not help their cause. This is as evident from the article. Everyone has the right to freedom of speech but it must be done so eloquently and tastefully. Anger will only repel those who are already negative, and it is the youngest of Australians who are in need of education of this matter.

Points to be discussed in the major essay

I have chosen to do a comparison between the two Indigenous artists, Tracey Moffatt and Vernon Ah Kee. I have chosen these artists as I am interested in the emotion and reactions that arise from their work. As they are two contemporary artists, the points that are to be discussed in the essay will focus on their role within Australian society. The points are as followed:

• Use of ambiguity to touch upon political issues

• Westernised styles conveying Indigenous perspectives

• The political protest of Indigenous rights

• The social commentary of the current state of Indigenous culture

• The use of symbolism to refer to significant and political events

• Self-motivated work (a reflection of their own past as Indigenous Australians)

• The role of the urban artist in Indigenous culture

• How the urban artist is a representation of Indigenous culture in Non-Indigenous culture fusion

Moffatt's linear narrative of the 'Stolen Generation'

In her short film, 'Night Cries - A rural tragedy', Moffatt touches upon the controversial subject matter regarding the 'Stolen Generation'; a topic that is still regarded as one of Australia's darkest periods in colonial history. Moffatt continues this exploration with her 1998 series, ‘Up in the Sky’ which addresses the traumatic experience of the Stolen Generation. As a victim of the systematic dispossession of Aboriginal children, Moffatt grew up in a non-indigenous foster home in Queensland. With most of her work,  there is an autobiographical element which provokes the kind of affective response that only comes from lived experience as previously witnessed in her short film. ‘Up in the Sky’ is no different. Her filmographic sequence depicts the psychological trauma of Australia’s assimilation policy. Art curator Felicity Fenner described the series,“Irony, wit and a wry intellectual approach to negotiating the conflicted intersection between black and white social territory in Australia today.” 


Moffatt engages the audience with imagery derived from witnessing a traumatic event through her use of visual language, expressing rather than recounting a linear narrative. Consequently, Moffatt activates visual sensations of her memory to connect with the audience (who are not associated with the Stolen Generation) to the experience  of an important event in Australian history. Simple narrative could not express this experience in a more profound way. Furthermore, Moffat is able to document the traumatic event to be viewed by those in the present, with the intent to educate and bring forth awareness.


Most artists that comment on this subject matter lace their work with anger, however Moffatt's approach is refreshing and perhaps more effective to understanding the events of the past. Her narrative showcases balance and perspective. ‘Up in the Sky’ recognises the sociological ignorance of white Australia’s early colonial arrogance without the contempt. Instead, what occurs is a journey into the memory of the artist which welcomes the audience to engage with the trauma of the past and its imprint on contemporary Australia. As with all her work, the audience is left to forge their own opinions and conclusions about the morality of the nation's history.

Images all by Tracey Moffatt - 'Up in the Sky' 1998

Tracey Moffatt: the role as a Contemporary Photographer

In contemporary society, photography is used to disrupt the individual’s perceptions of time and space. Artists set out to create and alter the perceptions of societal issues involving race, gender and sexuality. The continuous manipulation of photographic styles used by artists such as Tracey Moffatt has challenged the viewer’s perception of reality and morality, a trait that is evident in almost all of her work. Moffatt translates a sense of ambiguity to enable this change of perception, as witnessed in her 1989 series ‘Something More.’ The linear narrative follows an indefinite tale of a woman who seeks love and freedom but is met with an untimely death. The story is interpreted in a number of way, as exemplified, “she visits of seeks to depart from an outback shack inhabited by rough types, only to enter into a sadistic lesbian relationship, ending (cornily enough) in death,” (Nelson, Robert 2004). The story's display of vulgarity lends an interesting contrast against the use of cibachrome, becoming a historical reference to the world of photo development of film noir. As witnessed from the photograph below, the artist has used a cibachrome technique to create rich and bold colours, reminiscent of the old Chinese and Hollywood film posters of the 1940s. Photographs have become less of a tool of capturing reality, and more of a means of transmitting the thoughts of the artist. Moffatt's challenge of the audience's perception forces the individual to formulate their own meaning to the story. 

Tracey Moffatt - 'Something More', 1989.

This notion is further exemplified by Moffatt's 1998 series ‘Up in the sky’. Through analysis of the image below, the audience is confronted with a vivid display of tension, fear and sorrow. Here is an old man crawling on the road; the viewer is unaware of his story and whether or not he is in danger. The car behind him has its lights turned on, however the image is not captured in the dark. Thus the viewer is unaware of the photograph's time or place. This uncertainty caused the audience to question the intent of the driver, and the fate of the old man. Moffatt's underlying meaning of the series was to reflect on the 'Stolen Generation', so one would question whether the race of the man has an effect on the story of the photograph. The individual photographs of the series are not related in a linear fashion so it is difficult to determine the overall meaning of the image. However, the grey tones set an ominous mood which is assisted by the violent connotations of the photograph's staging. 

Tracey Moffatt - 'Up in the sky' 1998