Art critic, Sasha Grishin, reviews “Activism” opening at the Canberra Museum and Gallery, a history of political engagement by Canberrans in the capital’s short history. Prominent among the works on display is Indigenous artist, playwright and poet Kevin Gilbert’s “Colonising Species” 1994. As Grishin describes it: “In this colour linocut, a white swan, designating European colonial powers, clutches in its beak the neck of a lifeless black swan, denoting Indigenous peoples. Blood drips on the British crown, while Aboriginal sacred figures look on from the background. The colours of the print may suggest the Aboriginal flag.” Powerful indeed, cutting. Quite coincidentally a black (Indigenous) and a white (European) swan dominate the coat of arms of the City of Canberra. A recent Legislative Assembly committee report recommends that a new Coat of Arms for the Australian Capital Territory should be chosen. See more on the link below. The exhibition is on until 2 November. sa catalogue entry CMAG for this work by Kevin Gilbert [“Activism: forces for change in Canberra at CMAG is engaging” by Sasha Grishin, The Canberra Times online, 8 August 2019]
Woman for an Australian Republic, Adelaide Ironside, republican poet and artist 1831-1867
Self portrait 1855, Newcastle Art Gallery NSW
