THE 24th Songlines exhibition of Indigenous Australian art at the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery is now on in London.
The annual exhibition of Indigenous works is now a regular feature on London’s cultural event calendar and a constant trend-setter for Indigenous art followers back in Australia.
This year’s 15 featured artists come from the aboriginal community of Ampilatwatja, located hundreds of kilometres from Alice Springs.
“They have totally invented a new art form,” says Australian Rebecca Hossack, pointing to striated landscapes that evocatively capture the shrubs, plains and light of the remote Northern Territory.
“The fact they are not painting their Dreaming but the land is what makes them different and special,” says Hossack.
Rebecca Hossack, gallery owner and passionate Indigenous art advocate, who The Independent once credited as being “largely responsible for bringing awareness of Aboriginal culture to this country”, was excited about the chance to show Ampilatwatja art to the crowd assembled in her Fitzrovia gallery.
“They are very individual, eccentric artists,” Rebecca Hossack told Australian Times during the busy opening night. For the occasion, two of the artists had travelled the 15,000 kilometres from their 500 person community to visit London’s rained upon millions.
Small orange stickers, signs of purchase, rapidly appeared under works as the night’s attendees purchased many of the hanging canvasses.
The Art of Ampilatwatja exhibition continues at the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery: 2a Conway Street, Fitzroy Square, London W1T 6BA until 30 June. See: www.r-h-g.co.uk
IMAGE: ARTISTS OF AMPILATWATJA
MY COUNTRY (THORINE SAME)
ACRYLIC ON LINEN, 2011
91 X 76 CM (36.4 X 30.4 INS)