aboriginal — Body of Work

#177 The Artist Provocateur

Tasmanians head to music concerts and art galleries and sporting events trying to escape conflict and confrontation. However, and inevitably, we are followed and stalked by discussion and debate. From festivals to AFL games to community events, we ask each other opinions on the latest announcement, conflict, or decision because these matters occupy the mainstream and social media.

For years, Tasmanian colonial art was defined by landscape paintings, literature describing landscapes, and song lyrics about landscapes. But then came Mona and we opened our eyes to provocative and outrageous art that, although we may not like, makes us think.

AnecdoteBrian Wightman14 February 2022art, artists, folk music, aboriginal, Petroglyphs, protest, cause, movement

Weeds in our Pavers

Weeds grow through our pavers at home.

Paspalum and dandelions, and grass that belongs in the lawn.

Glyphosate sorts them out, but they take a week to die.

Dying weeds hanging on littering our pavers is frustrating. It is also ugly.

Glyphosate is not a safe chemical, but it does the job.

The weeds die and they eventually disappear.

They are forgotten about until they grow back.

Politics, Leadership, NewsBrian Wightman8 August 2021John Batman, aboriginal, Lau, Civic Sqaure, City of Launceston

Acknowledgement

A celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can be traced back to the 1920's and 30's when the Australian Aborigines Progressive Association and the Australian Aborigines League began raising awareness and promoting rights.

Gradually, the notion of celebration has grown with Torres Strait Islanders added to the NADOC acronym in 1991 to recognise their contribution as original owners.

Like reconciliation, acceptance of NAIDOC Week has been a slow process

Free!

As we waited for Catherine Freeman to adorn our screens last Sunday evening in an ABC documentary celebrating her triumph at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, I took a screenshot of a tweet from local contributor @sallyjgill who posted at 1.45pm.

Simply put Ms Gill shared a photo of road signs 15 kilometres from yingina / Great Lake festooned with red spray paint covering the dual name with a racist tag penned by a bogan showcasing all the traits that should make us cringe.

LeadershipBrian Wightman20 September 2020aboriginal, Cathy Freeman, social justice, racist, racism, education, leadership