Discover the next generation of artists from 20 Aboriginal art centres across Western Australia at the same time as the visiting political leaders of Commonwealth countries. For, Perth has it all in indigenous art at the moment. As well as the brilliant Canning Stock Route show (ex-National Museum) and the WA Indigenous Art Prize at the WA Art Gallery, 47 emerging artists have been selected to be Revealed at the Central Institute of Technology until 12th November.
And this weekend you can buy their exciting new works in the Revealed Marketplace “ a rare opportunity in Perth to buy affordable paintings, prints, wood and fibre works, with prices ranging from $250 upwards. More than 80 emerging artists are visiting Perth for the exhibition and marketplace.
The State’s Culture and Arts Minister, John Day believes Revealed will reinforce the importance of indigenous culture to Western Australia. It will also provide, he says, an excellent opportunity for the next generation of indigenous artists and cultural workers to build networks and skills and have access to a commercial audience.
The idea was first tried in 2008 and attracted more than 1,700 people. It’s taken CHOGM to rerun the excellent project “ now in the hands of curators Tim Acker and Thelma John. This year’s artists were selected from 119 applicants, some around Perth, but mostly from remote WA communities such as Mowanjum, off the Gibb River Road in The Kimberley, Wirnda Barna an emerging art community at Mt Magnet in the Mid-West, and the Tjarlirli Community in the Western Desert. The emerging artists were identified as long ago as last May, giving them plenty of time to come up with their best works for this event.
As well as paintings, there are a broad range of works including carvings and fibre art. Barry Belotti from Gwoonwardu Mia: Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage & Cultural Centre Inc will show his carved spearheads. Baker Lane from Martumili Artists in the East Pilbara will show clubs, boomerangs and shields. Such wooden artefacts are still made by many Aboriginal men across WA, for daily use and for sale, but have not always been regarded as highly collectable. However, the making of spears is part an important cultural practice and represents continuity across the ages. The inscriptions and markings on these objects are specific to a region or language group, depicting cultural stories which can then be translated into the other mediums that we are more familiar with such as paintings. Carvings are like going back to the source material.
Revealed is the only Aboriginal art market in Western Australia, allowing buyers access to a range of unique artwork and to meet artists in an informal and friendly environment.
