Weaving stories in Art

The Arts curriculum requires the exploration of art forms, visual and performing, from different social, cultural and historical contexts, and schools are expected to include learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art forms in their teaching and learning programs.

– VCAA, 2016

As part of the Trinity’s commitment to Reconciliation, the Art Faculty has begun to embed Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum at Years 7 to 10. Art in Year 7 and 8 is an intensive term-based subject, while from Year 9 onwards it is an elective and students gain increasing independence with the work they pursue. The study of Indigenous art forms is dictated within the Victorian Curriculum and all the content developed and delivered within the Art Faculty follows three guiding principles:

• Students are provided with an historical framework to develop a broader understanding of the breath of Indigenous cultural practice and the philosophical foundations that underpin it

• Students are encouraged to think critically about western art conventions and perspectives

• Students will view the work within the framework of the cross curricula priority of sustainability, reinforcing how

Indigenous cultural practice is inextricably linked to Country

When possible, students will have instruction from an Indigenous teacher/artist, either in the classroom or through digital content or public museum collections. It is very important that the dominant voice or narrative in the classroom is Indigenous – the teacher acts as a facilitator rather than subject specialist. Artists-in-residence play an important role in the delivery of this content and are selected from a range of communities and media.

In 2020, the students worked with artist-in-residence Lorraine Kabbindi White, a Kunwinjku, Gunmok woman who grew up in western Arnhem Land. Trinity commissioned White to create four works on paper which have been scanned and installed as acoustic panels in the Drum meeting room within the Tudor Centre. The panels depict a progressive narrative and include key motifs of the artist’s life and the artistic legacy that she has inherited. White worked on the panels in the Daley Gallery within the Art Department and many of the Year 7 and 8 students were able to observe her working and speak with her about the narrative, materials and techniques.

White begins her works on paper by laying down the textural base using inks and traditional ochres mixed with a fixative. Onto these textural backgrounds she adds layers of shapes and slowly fills in the fine detailed brush work. The intricate parallel line work (rarrk) and x-ray style are typical of the western Arnhem tradition. The layering of these images over the top of each other represents the passage of time and the enduring narratives of her people. These panels speak of the artist’s deep spiritual connection to her country and all the species within it. Her ancestors are part of this country and are still embedded in the narratives that she shares. This is all part of her Dreaming – a personal story of creation and being.

The original four works on paper are now part of the Trinity Grammar Collection and provide a wonderful teaching resource.

In Term 1 this year, students in Years 7 and 8 worked with the Numbulwar weavers from the Gulf of Carpentaria. Guided by an instructional video created on Country, students created small baskets in the Numbulwar style. During the remainder of this year, the Art Faculty will begin to pilot programs for Years 9 and 10. Indigenous perspectives are also considered as part of students’ VCE studies in Years 11 and 12, with students in VCE Studio Arts often studying one Indigenous artist as part of the Studio Arts program Students in VCE Media and Visual Communication courses also participate in the artist-in-residence programs.

Sarah George

Art Teacher

Lorraine Kabbindi White with her work Nayuhyungki

Nayuhyungki by Lorraine Kabbindi White is the first of four works on paper commissioned by Trinity Grammar in 2020. This work is about the Dreaming story of the creation mother who placed each clan group and language in different regions.

Lorraine Kabbindi White explains the work in this way:

‘This piece is all to do with the spiritual realm. Even though we are in a modern society this spiritual identity lives in the core of all of us; it’s still there. We just need to take the time to be in a quiet place and be at peace with ourselves to find it. When you look at this work you sense the time that has passed, different layers represent different stories and time passing over generations from the first people to today.’

William Johnson, Year 7 Patrick Ben, Year 8