Rethink, Recreate, Reclaim: The Perspective of First Nations Australian Contemporary Artists

The painful effects of colonisation on First Nations Australian contemporary artists and the ability to maintain their cultural identity have rippled down subsequent generations, and this work examines that phenomenon.  The key rising themes of these First Nations artists include invasion, stolen generations, racism, and loss of identity, all of which have been profoundly affected by colonial discourse. These artists continue to rethink, recreate, and reclaim their identities. As a result, the negative past has created new, complex social structures and ideologies involving postcolonial and cross-cultural identities.  This study delves into the creative processes of three First Nation artists whose work is influenced by the ever-evolving cultural landscapes surrounding them. Their modern aesthetic and outlook both owe a debt to this.

The aesthetics of mass manufacturing, mass media, and global culture have permeated First Nations communities and altered how they view their practices, culture, and representation. Gordon Bennett, Destiny Deacon, and Michael Cook are just a few artists that have used themes of racism, invasion, and identity loss to create a shared visual story.

Gordon Bennett’s ‘Self-portrait’ was created using inkjet on photographic paper. The colour of the image is in multi colours, such as pink, black, white, and yellow, which represents a mixed cross-culture leading to the hybridity of the modern world. His facial image is moving in a chaotic movement, possibly confusion.  He constructs a visual language with a meaning or a purpose, redefining stereotypes and looking towards a better understanding, and capitalising on and reclaiming his own self-identity and heritage.

Destiny Deacon reveals racism and its association with black people by using small black dolls and reclaiming a framework of action by the colonists. Here, she develops her art practice using modern technologies and distancing herself from traditional tools. It can be said that this photograph shows the representation of the stolen generation through the small black dolls encaptured in paper cupcakes.

Michael Cook is highlighting new histories and moving from the future with his artwork. Michael Cook’s photograph sequences like ‘The Invasion’ usually describe a reverse history. He uses London as a backdrop theme with the invasion of indigenous animals and First Nations people in urban British streets.

The effects of this intergenerational trauma have broadened the viewpoints of these creatives by compelling them to question their existence and global visibility and encouraging them to rethink, reconstruct, and reclaim their identity continuously. Incorporating postmodern and postcolonial theories and international cultural contexts, these three artists are clear examples of these concepts. Their works, which draw from various cultures, focus on the challenges of racism and the search for their own voice.