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

Renee Keeffe

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 process of three First Nations artists whose work is influenced by the ever-evolving cultural landscape surrounding them. Their modern aesthetic and outlook both owe a debt to this. The aesthetic of mass production, mass media, and global culture has 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. The effects of this intergenerational trauma have broadened the viewpoints of these creatives by compelling them to question their existence in global visibility and encouraging them to rethink, recreate, and reclaim their identity continuously. Incorporating post-modern and postcolonial theories and global 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.

Photograph. Web. JPEG Image courtesy of https://artinthestreets.