Warlayirti: The Art of Balgo and Garnkiny

WRITTEN TEXT: Opening night Warlayirti: The Art of Balgo and Garnkiny: Constellations of Meaning 15 September

2010 at RMIT Gallery. RMIT University logo.

SOUND: Dideridoo music

Suzanne Davies speaking: Welcome to RMIT Gallery. I'm Suzanne Davies the Director of the Gallery and it is my very great pleasure to welcome you all here this evening.

VISUAL: Suzanne Davies speaking to an audience in the RMIT Gallery. Shot of audience applauding.

SOUND: Applause

Tony Ellwood (Director of National Gallery of Victoria) speaking: Balgo, over here for those who don't know is the ceremonial heart for several Indigenous clansfrom Western Australia's Kimberley and Western Desert.

VISUAL: Tony Ellwood speaking to an audience. Panning shot of a map showing Balgo and the surrounding regions

Tony Ellwood speaking: It's distinguished by its diverse style

VISUAL: Indigenous artist standing in front of an artwork in the gallery.

Tony Ellwood speaking: and it's particularly exuberant use of pure colour. The art from Balgo was first recognised as a distinct body of work following the Art Gallery of Western Australia's landmark exhibition - Art from the Great Sandy Desert which was in 1986.

VISUAL: Shots of various artworks in the exhibition on the walls of the gallery. Audience members viewing the exhibition

Tony Ellwood speaking: So you can see when we're talking about these histories, they're relatively contemporary ones. And I congratulate, also, Jacqui Healy for her meticulous work and for visiting the community on an annual basis for over a decade. The exhibition includes interviews with key proponents from the 1986 Exhibition along with important research material from the Warlayirti Artists' archives

VISUAL: Various Indigenous people in conversation at the exhibition.

Tony Ellwood speaking: and the accompanying catalogue is a rich repository for this new research material.

VISUAL: Man browsing a book containing indigenous artwork

Tony Ellwood speaking: The second exhibition, Garnkiny: Constellations of Meaning

VISUAL: Audience listening to Tony speaking.

Tony Ellwood speaking: Indigenous woman standing in front of two paintings at the exhibition articulates the intimate connection between art and storytelling of the Gija People who are renowned for their use of ochres often sources from their own land.

VISUAL: Several shots of artworks at the exhibition

Tony Ellwood speaking: So you've got two very different distinct material qualities happening in neighbouring communities.

VISUAL: Tony speaking and gesturing with his hands

 Tony Ellwood speaking: For an international audience, it must be very interesting. The contemporary Warmun painting movement tells the Dreaming narratives of the artists' ancestral country and this exhibition focuses on one story which is that of the Moon Man. The Moon Man travelled across Gija country 

VISUAL: Audience members listening. Various artworks displayed at the exhibition

Tony Ellwood speaking: and his actions have a profound impact on the physical and social realities of its people.

VISUAL: Shot of an indigenous elders hands

Tony Ellwood speaking: And as my friend, Rusty Peters, who's with us here tonight says this is a very big story.

VISUAL: An indigenous elder sitting in front of an artwork places his hat on his head.

Tony Ellwood speaking: The beautiful exhibition has been curated by Adam Boyd, Anna Crane and Alana Hunt and it hints at the intricate connections between country, nature and the people who inhabit it.

VISUAL: Various artworks displayed at the exhibition. A man shakes hands with an indigenous lady.

Tony Ellwood speaking: What these two exhibitions also clearly demonstrate is the enduring legacy of heritage and culture. It's wonderful to be able to share these exhibitions with an international community. Australian art

museums are proud of the developments we've made in the preservation and interpretation of Indigenous art

VISUAL: Tony speaking to the audience

Tony Ellwood speaking: and the real progress we've made in the way audiences are able to engage with the art and artists through research, publishing and education programs.

VISUAL: Indigenous lady seated at the exhibition talking to another person Tony Ellwood speaking: As the world's oldest continuous culture, Indigenous Australian Communities bring together a rich understanding of the environment and culture practise.

VISUAL: Indigenous elder man talking to audience members in front of artworks.

Tony Ellwood speaking: As Suzanne mentioned, I had the privilege of working for two years in the east Kimberley 

VISUAL: Suzanne Davies talking with an indigenous elder and another man at the exhibition.

Tony Ellwood speaking: so I saw firsthand just how much communicating through their artistic practise means. But probably what overpowered me more than anything was just that intrinsic love for ancestral land and ultimately, all of these paintings pay homage to that.

VISUAL: Panning shot of various artworks on the walls of the exhibition

Tony Ellwood speaking: So the two exhibitions that open tonight are both powerful expressions of our Indigenous cultures.

VISUAL: Two indigenous women seated at the exhibition.

Tony Ellwood speaking: While these are neighbouring communities, as I said, it's worth reflecting on the different inherent material qualities.

VISUAL: Shots of various people viewing artworks at the exhibition. 

Tony Ellwood speaking: They're a poignant reminder that Australian Indigenous Art is complex, rich, diverse and vibrant so it's a great pleasure to officially declare them open. Thank you.

VISUAL: Indigenous elder man talking to people at the exhibition and gesturing with hands. Tony speaking to the audience.

SOUND: Audience applause. Didgeridoo music fades out

WRITTEN TEXT: Gordon Darling Foundation logo, Ursula Hoff Institute logo, RMIT University logo.

[End of Transcript]

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