HORSHAM-BASED artist Gail Harradine is one of the state’s leading voices in indigenous art.
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Ms Harradine has submitted two artworks to this year’s Koori Art Show, which will be on display in Melbourne from next month. She said the exhibition showcased pieces by indigenous artists from the south-east region of Australia.
“It’s very different from what you see up north or in central Australia,” she said.
“There is a beautiful multitude of indigenous art and certainly the Koori Heritage Trust showcases that with its collection and this art show.
“People put in what they think is suitable – it could be anything relating to a range of different crafts; artists often have various talents and techniques that are handed down through elders and their family.”
A number of awards will be handed out at the art show, including a youth award for the first time.
“There are a lot of young people in our community because we loose a lot of our elders earlier compared to the wider community. Being an artist who has been around for a while, you sort of take on a role model position, which I see as very important,” she said.
The two pieces Ms Harradine has submitted to the show are collagraph prints that were part of a series of works.
One is entitled Wall par, which means dead tree in Jadawadjai, the language of the Wotjobaluk people. The piece was produced earlier this year in a collagraph workshop with Wimmera-based printmaker Peta Adamson.
“It focuses on the degradation in the environment and looking at how we can work more towards saving our environment, especially around our rivers. The brittleness of bones also comes into the work,” she said.
A collograph involves working with a range of different materials to produce a print. Ms Harradine used materials such as sand, etching ink and string in her piece.
“It’s a ghost print, which is when the ink is less visible, so it’s sort of experimentation and playing around with images and seeing what comes from that,” she said.
Ms Harradine has worked at the National Museum of Australia, Koori Heritage Trust and the Melbourne Museum.
Her art almost always reflects on her place in the Wotjobaluk community.
“A lot of it’s about the environment. I’ve done a lot with resource management, so I’m pretty interested in our creation stories and the Wimmera River, and putting that into my work,” she said.
“A lot of that comes out in the indigenous art community and how we feel connected. We haven’t got things resolved through Native Title, and that sort of thing, so it’s about asking ourselves how we can keep connected to country.
“That’s something we need to continue to work on. Native Title isn’t really cutting it unfortunately, so I use my work to reflect on what’s happening in the environment, culture and connection.”
Another subject Ms Harradine focuses on is her connection to the natural environment around her.
“I use a lot of images of the river; the mussel shell is a symbol I have used repeatedly in my work over the years,” she said.
“A friend of mine, who is a researcher, said he had come across some material that revealed one of the totems of my great-great-grandfather was a mussel shell, so it’s amazing what you can find out about your family heritage.”
Photography is one of Ms Harradine’s newfound passions. Ms Harradine became the first local Traditional Owner to have work displayed in the Horsham Regional Art Gallery’s permanent collection when the gallery purchased two of her photographs, which were taken at Mt Arapiles.
Ms Harradine said it was important for indigenous artists to explore traditional art forms.
“There is an indigenous women’s craft group that is supported by Grampians Community Health and we do workshops for feather flowers in Dimboola, Halls Gap and Stawell,” she said.
“The craft of feather flowers became popular on the missions. When non-indigenous people would visit, they would buy them. It sort of came out of the ceremonial meanings and it’s all coming back through revitalisation.
“We’ve had a lot of upheaval through the Native Title and it’s often really hard to get all the families involved. Cultural safety and wellbeing is really important, which is why we do the workshops.
“It’s important to have a culturally safe environment for people to meet and feel like they can be part of something to learn the old ways.
“It’s so important that young people are taught about their culture and identity. It is hard because they can get swallowed up in what’s happening out in the world.”
She said more wellbeing workshops would be held in the future.
“We have worked with the Budja Budja Neighbourhood House in Halls Gap and the Goolum Goolum women's craft group. You have to have a sustainable program because a one-off doesn’t really help much,” she said.
“If you have a roll-on effect, it really does make a difference in the community.”
Koori Art Show
WHEN: December 8 - February 24
WHERE: Koori Heritage Trust, Yarra Building, Federation Square, Melbourne
MORE INFORMATION: www.koorieheritagetrust.com.au
