Total Masterpieces
“Everything in the show is a total masterpiece,” extolled Myles Russell-Cook, Senior Curator of First Nations and Australian Art at the National Gallery of Victoria. For his Gallery is offering Read More
Here we go again…..
Oh boy! The history of attempts to build First Nations-specific art and cultural institutions in Australia is such a sad one. There was so much faith in Tarrkarri for Adelaide Read More
New First Nations Arts Board
The Federal Government has brought into being an all-Indigenous 10-person board, which will oversee $52m in funding over four years from 2024-2025. The board was part of the government’s Revive Read More
Sydney Contemporary – Bigger or Smaller?
With the reportedly most expensive artwork on offer at this year’s Sydney Contemporary artfair an Emily Kngwarreye priced at $3.35m, could it be that Aboriginal art is at last coming Read More
War in the Mid-West (not East)
War is a big word. Just ask the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. For ever they’ve excluded the Australian Frontier Wars from any commemoration in their holy of holies. Yet Read More
Archie Moore’s ‘kith and kin’ bought by the Nation
Is the 2024 Venice Biennale Golden Lion winner, Archie Moore going to be permanently employed recreating his enveloping artwork kith and kin around the world now that it’s been ‘bought’ Read More
Kluge-Ruhe Moves Along
After 27 years as the director of the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia, Margo Smith AM has announced that she will retire in June next year. Read More
Big But Beautiful
It’s Telstra NATSIA Awards time again – amazingly the 41st such annual prize session, 33 of them funded by Telstra. Currently that generosity is to the tune of $175,000 to Read More
Terry Ingram 1942-2024
It may seem odd to record the death of Terry Ingram the long-term Saleroom correspondent of the Australian Financial Review, for whom First Nations art was of comparatively secondary importance. Read More
Forthcoming Events
There are six major First Nations events poised to happen over the Aussie winter, headed by the launch of the 15th edition of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair tomorrow in Read More
Whitefella Way
Photographer Jon Rhodes is famed for his sensitive capture of Aboriginal Australia over many an exhibition of black and white images. So, in 2006, when he could no longer obtain Read More
Tipoti is NAIDOC Hero
The Australian National Maritime Museum (and Aboriginal Art Directory) congratulates Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait artist Alick Tipoti on being recognised as this year’s NAIDOC Caring for Country and Culture Awardee. Given Read More
Destiny (and others) Dies
The world, especially the urban Blak art world, has recently lost one of its few really witty visual satirists, Destiny Deacon. 2022 Red Ochre winner and subject of a major Read More
Wynne and Archie
At last, you may say, he’s been to the Archibald Prize – which runs until 8th September. And is as popular as ever, judging by the milling throngs this morning Read More
Truth-Telling Photos
Simon Chan at Sydney’s Art Atrium gallery has fingers in many pies. He didn’t earn his AM simply for selling art. His connections through Chinese community groups and the NSW Read More
Telstra Art Award Finalists Announced by Language
This year's Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Awards Telstra (NATSIAA) finalists have been announced and, as Jeremy Eccles comments, there's a lot of new names and, for the first Read More
All Is Revealed
Western Australia is nothing if not patriotic, and occasionally it thinks it ought to become a country separate from the rest of Australia. Possibly as a result, they do things Read More
Last Chance to Comment
Dear Readers, As you are the most expert people in the matter of authenticity in the matter of Indigenous art and craft, may I remind you that June 15th is Read More