|
Welcome to POST Impressions Online, with the best selection of arts and entertainment information from Western Australia. The last three editions of POST Impressions are available online: [an error occurred while processing this directive] |
|
Perth, |
Painting the past into life for the future
Gordon Landsen is using
his paintings to pass on stories to the
next generation. An instinctive
painter, Gordon is also a natural-born teacher as
he tries to explain the Aboriginal words for items
depicted in his paintings. "Goongalana," he says,
repeating it slowly as he points to a fire lighter.
"Loogalooga" is a paperbark water
carrier. Gordon is on his
first trip to Perth from his home in Borroloola, a
remote township in the Northern Territory, 1200km
south of Darwin and 400km from Katherine. He is the
only artist in his community and is dedicated to
teaching its younger members the stories of their
land. Part of the old
head stockman's inspiration to paint came from
seeing the works of Albert Namatjira in Alice
Springs. "I wanted to leave
my kids something," he explains. "No-one taught me
to paint, and that dot painting is very difficult,
but I want my kids to live with the business." The
"business" is an understanding of the land, and
claiming ownership of it, of the Dreamtime and of
traditions and culture. It is not an easy
task: a lot of the kids today don't want to know.
But Gordon has set up his own school to teach his
community's language, culture and
painting. One of his
favourite paintings in the exhibition shows how his
ancestors worked. "We were never lazy people," he
insists. "We had too much to do." The simple painting
shows how his great-great-grandfather made
boomerangs, some to throw with the right hand and
some for the left, a stone axe, spears, string for
the water carriers and a didgeridoo. Halfway through his
story of how they used the spears for killing,
Gordon pauses and says: "The stories I tell you
don't belong to you, the white fella, they come
from my great-great-grandfather." Would his ancestor
be upset to know Gordon was talking about these
things? "Sure. I would get into trouble if he
knew," he says. "But, you need to know. I can't
sell my paintings without telling the stories
behind them." The practical need
to sell his work comes from his desire to ensure
the survival of his community as well as more
direct needs, like a car. Gordon's strong and
simple landscapes are an introduction to part of
the country few of us will ever see. The vast
natural red stone formations that make up what's
known locally as The Lost City, Devil's Hill, the
caves full of roof paintings, the flowers, the wide
green plains are a tangible representation of the
land that is Gordon's past and his children's
future. He wants a car so he can continue to travel
to paint his landscapes. Subiaco's
Indigenart, the Northern Territory Artists'
Development fund and Clive Barstow, head of
printmaking at Edith Cowan University combined to
provide Gordon with the opportunity to spend a week
learning the art of printmaking. A couple of days
into it and Gordon is delighted he has produced at
least one print worthy of exhibiting. Indigenart is at
115 Hay Street, Subiaco. Gallery hours are Monday
to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Copyright © 1999 - 2006 Post Newspapers Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.
The old, well-worn
Akubra is tilted forward over long white hair and a
battered, weathered face; 60-year-old Gordon
Landsen's one good eye twinkles when he smiles. He
does that a lot when he talks about the stories in
his paintings, on show at Indigenart, in
Subiaco.
-Sarah McNeill
In Post Impressions this week:
Theatre:
Exhibitions:
Cinema:
Music:
Paige gets a buzz from paper
Sarro's a real artist of the people
Climbing Mt Everest in under an hour
From Comrade Anna to 'princess' of the piano