Abstract
This paper explores how Australia has purposefully shaped its cultural memories in the years since the country’s colonisation, and curated them within Australian art galleries. It will propose that the emotion of shame has been an underlying force in this remembering, or forgetting, of Australia’s colonial past, from its convict heritage to the genocide of First Nations peoples. Works of art that epitomise these shame points will be highlighted, including colonial painter John Glover, Australian modernist artists Russell Drysdale and Sidney Nolan, as well as a gamut of contemporary First Nations artists including Julie Gough, Dean Cross and Marlene Gilson. This paper works to understand how shame can be harnessed within curatorial practice in postcolonial countries, arguing that by acknowledging and embracing postcolonial shame, it can lead to more nuanced and honest displays of national art.
Presenters
Sophie GerhardCurator, Australian and First Nations Art, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
POSTCOLONIAL, COLONIAL, ABORIGINAL, AUSTRALIAN, MUSEUMS, CURATORIAL, CURATING, SHAME, AUSTRALIANMUSEUMS, FIRSTNATIONS
