Vincent Namatjira: Australia in Colour

Take a look at all the works in Vincent Namatjira: Australia in Colour. How would you describe Namatjira’s style. Are there common themes or subjects that reappear? Share three words with your class that describe Namatjira’s works. As a class collate these words on a large sheet of paper to display in your classroom. As you continue to learn more about Namatjira and his works, you might like to add or change words on this list.

• Is Close Contact a painting or a sculpture?
• “There’s two sides to every story.” – Vincent Namatjira. Discuss what two stories you think Namatjira is trying to tell in Close Contact?
• Namatjira was inspired by carnival cut-outs (the type you see at amusement parks) in his creation of Close Contact. Carnival cut-outs allow people to pose with well-known figures or even pose as other characters. Why do you think Namatjira has referenced these carnival cut-outs?
• How has Namatjira conveyed humour in Close Contact? Namatjira states that using humour to portray a serious event or issue allows you to be in control. What do you think he means by this? Can you think of a situation where humour has alleviated a serious situation for you?
• Namatjira has adapted a historical portrait of James Cook and juxtaposed this with a self-portrait. In what ways does Close Contact challenge traditional portraiture as seen in art history?
• Did you know that James Cook was not a captain, he was actually Lieutenant Cook. The Australian Maritime Museum have a great resource on Mythbusting Cook. Select some facts about James Cook and mix these with the myths. In small groups, discuss which statements are true and which are not.

• Recreate the two poses of Namatjira and James Cook. How are the two poses different? What do you think the body language of the two figures suggests?
• What other differences do you notice between the two sides of the work of art? Imagine that Namatjira and James Cook could meet and have a conversation, what might they say to each other? Act out this conversation with a classmate.
• Research a historical figure and imagine you could have a conversation with them. Create a video or write a screen play about this meeting.

• Write a diary entry from the point of view of James Cook and one from Namatjira.
• The title, Close Contact references the meeting between James Cook and the Gweagal and Bidgegal people, the tradition custodians of what is now known as Botany Bay. Research the two different perspectives of this encounter. How could have this meeting turned out differently and changed the course of history?
• How have other Aboriginal and Torres Strait artists such as Ali Gumillya Baker, Julie Dowling and Christian Thompson explored themes of identity in their work?

• Create your own life-size self-portrait by tracing around your own shadow while you strike an interesting pose. What identifying features would you add to your portrait so people could identify you?
• Namatjira has used one shape to create two different images on either side of Close Contact. Cut a shape out of cardboard and draw two different images on either sides.
• Namatjira is interested in people and their stories, how someone from today is connected with the past. Create your own double-sided portrait which either references the past and the present, or two different perspectives
  • You may like to have a self-portrait on one side and someone who you admire or who has influenced you from your past on the other.
  • Your double portrait could include a self-portrait with a portrait of a friend or family member living in another part of the world.

Vincent Namatjira’s discussing the portrait of Captain Cook from E. Philips Fox’s painting Landing of Captain Cook at Botany Bay, 1770:

• How is the meeting between James Cook, his crew and Aboriginal people depicted in E. Philips Fox’s Landing of Captain Cook at Botany Bay, 1770? What was the purpose of such a painting?
• Find out more about Fox’s Landing of Captain Cook at Botany Bay, 1770. With what you know about Australian history and the impact colonisation had on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, create your own response to Fox’s painting.
  

Appropriation in art is the deliberate use of pre-existing images or conscious copying of a style or movement.

Artists often use appropriated imagery in the hope that the viewer will recognise the context of the original work of art and use these associations to develop a new meaning. In this way, artists who use appropriated imagery may be attempting to change the original image and position it in a new context – altering the original meaning of the work.

• Research other artists who have responded to E. Philips Fox’s painting. How have these artists represented James Cook’s historical landing through an Aboriginal perspective and non-Indigenous perspective? You might start by looking at the following:
  • Daniel Boyd We Call them Pirates Out Here, 2006
  • Julie Gough, Chase 2001, and Imperial Leather 1994. (Works of art by Julie Gough in the collection include Malahide, 2008, The Promise 2019)
  • Percy Trompf, The Landing of Captain Cook at Botany Bay, 1929
  • Ben Quilty Inhabit 2010 and The arrival 2007 (Primary and Secondary resources available)

• In the animation Queen Elizabeth and Namatjira exchange bush treats as a gesture of peace. If you were making amends with someone, what might you offer as a sign of peace?

• List all of the things you can see in the projection. Can these items be grouped in some way?
• Describe Going Out Bush in three words. Now use these three words as a starting point or prompts for your own work of art.

• The Aboriginal flag takes pride of place in the projection work. Why are flags important? Find out more about the history and origins of the Aboriginal flag. Imagine you were a country. Create a flag that represents who you are.
• Using collage and drawing, make an animation that tells the story of your life – you might like to have the flag you designed earlier feature in the animation.

• What does the word ‘power’ mean to you? Are the figures depicted in Namatjira’s paintings powerful? Why or why not?
• Identify all the figures in this work. You might need to do a bit of research to find out about the people depicted in Namatjira’s paintings.
  • What defines a hero and what defines a villain? With a friend, write a set of criteria that determines a hero and a villain.
  • Group these figures into heroes and villains. How did you make your decision?
  • What is their legacy?
  • Is your hero list and villain list similar or different to other people in your class?
  • Make your own list of heroes and villains of famous figures you are aware of.
• Do you think the people in these portraits would be happy with how they have been depicted?

• Who is a hero is your life? Draw or paint a portrait of this person that commemorates what they mean to you.
• In Namatjira’s book, he has said:

• Investigate an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander leader. Create a work of art that celebrates their achievements. Write an artist statement to accompany your work that tells the viewer about your subject. Create a class exhibition to display these portraits for your school community.
• Vincent uses humour throughout his work. How does he do this?

• Refer back to your villains list. Select a famous villain to depict in a portrait. Like Namatjira, exaggerate their features, or give them a strange expression to remove their power.

• Before reading anything about this work, what does the word displaced mean to you? Why do you think Namatjira has titled this painting Displaced?
• Who are the figures depicted in this painting?
• Namatjira has included the protector totem, the dingo. What would be your protector totem? Is there an animal or object that you feel protected by?

More

In 2022 Tarnanthi presented Wild Dog, an immersive installation and exhibition exploring the importance of one of Australia’s most misunderstood but significant cultural symbols – the dingo. You can learn more about the dingo in the education resource developed by Country Arts SA.

• Namatjira has displaced Cook and the Queen by positioning them in the hot Australian landscape. By doing this he has removed their power, taken them out of their comfort zone and thus removing their dominance.
  • Think of a political or historical figure who has had tremendous power.
  • Using AI technology (WomboDream) place these figures in situations you might not normally see them in. For example; “Scott Morrison bungee jumping from the Sydney Harbour Bridge”. Tip: Composing good prompts is the key to interesting results in aps like WomboDream. If you aren’t able to use this technology in your schools, students can create collages instead.
    See Year 6 student examples that responded to Andy Warhol using AI Technology.

In 2022, Tony Albert (Girramay/Yidinji/Kuku Yalanji people) invited Vincent to his studio in Brisbane, as he says:

• With a friend, select an old children's book that you can modify, like Albert and Vincent did. Try a second hand store or your library may have duplicates of books that haven't been borrowed in a while that you can transform. Read the story and brainstorm with your partner different ways you could alter the book and how you could revise the story to tell a new and improved narrative. You might draw or paint on top of the existing illustrations or add collage so that your picture book has three-dimensional elements. If the book you selected isn't already a pop-up book - how could you modify it so that it is? Look at mechanisms in existing pop-up books to learn techniques to apply to your alternative children's book.

About Tony Albert

Queensland-born artist Tony Albert works in multiple art forms, including drawing, painting, photography and installation. His challenging and conceptual art explores the political, historical and cultural issues significant to Aboriginal people in Australia today, including their experience with war. Albert, who is based in Sydney, has created a number of works that respond to the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Australia’s military forces, including the contribution of members of his own family.

Universal Soldier in AGSA’s collection is a sculpture assembled using ‘Aboriginalia’ objects, which are covered in shredded camouflage fabric. ‘Aboriginalia’ refers to items such as tea towels, ashtrays, spoons and decorative wall plaques that present stereotypical depictions of Aboriginal people from a colonial perspective. Universal Soldier depicts two figures, one carrying the other, their gender and cultural background obscured. Albert recalls his family’s experience with war, noting that gender and culture were irrelevant during battle, but on their return home their rights as soldiers were removed because of their Aboriginality.

Watch ‘Finding the Archibald: Painting, practice and process’, ABC

• Who is the superstar in your life? It might be a sportsperson, musician, actor, writer or even a family member or friend. Share a memory about this person – how have they lifted you up? Immortalise them in a handmade trading card.
• Now investigate a First Nation’s icon that you may not be familiar with. It might be someone from history or a recent rising superstar, perhaps in a sport that you wouldn’t normally follow. Create a trading card like you did for the superstar in your life and display these in your school community so that your peers can learn about them too.

• Watch a game of football, soccer or netball etc. You might be able to watch it live in your school community or if not, watch a match on the TV. As you watch, create a series of quick blind contour drawings. Don’t be precious about the rapid marks you make, instead focus on capturing the energy, movement and spirit of the game.

• When Namatjira is in the art centre painting Aboriginal music such as Warumpi Band, Coloured Stone, Saltwater Band and Archie Roach is played. Why not listen to some music by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists in your classroom? We have composed a playlist to get you started. Listen here >>>

• Namatjira is a huge rock n roll fan – the louder the better. For Namatjira, music is an escapism. What music do you listen to when you want to escape? Create a painting inspired by this piece of music.

• Namatjira uses portraiture to explore his own identity and family history. Create your own painting, bringing together three people who are heroes in your eyes. It might be someone in your family or community combined with a famous sports person, performer or musician.