The Australian reports on the Xstrata Coal Emerging Indigenous Art Award 2008.
The third year of the Queensland Art Gallery’s emerging indigenous art award again has a focused selection of innovative contemporary art, showing several works from 10 artists. And emerging doesn’t necessarily mean young: work from 98-year-old Loongkoonan hangs alongside that of 20-year-old Beaver Lennon. The two previous award winners worked in non-traditional media: Jonathan Jones with a sculptural installation using light bulbs; and Genevieve Grieves with a moving video installation, Picturing the Old People. Following these two, the 2008 winner, Gunybi Ganambarr, would appear at first glance to be a more traditional choice. Closer inspection reveals that, with his winning work, innovation continues to dominate this award.
