Minister Marion Scrymgour and artists at the opening

A sublime gathering of artists

Opening of Kakadu mulil bim: a gathering of Kakadu artists and  Sublime Journey: new works by Caroline Rannersberger

Marion Scrymgour MLA, Minister for the Arts

Northern Editions, 20 April 2007

Acknowledgements including Larrakia

Acknowledgement of the artists of Kakadu as well as Caroline Rannersberg.

I will be brief, but I want to introduce this evening a few ideas about art and the work of artists in the Northern Territory.

This is the second time I have opened exhibitions at CDU’s Northern Editions. On the last occasion I made the point that the Territory—Darwin in particular—should no longer be seen as a “remote” part of the art world. What I said was:

Maybe that was a cheap shot, I could be accused of overstating it—but nothing I have seen since then convinces me otherwise.

The best, most interesting, and the most challenging art in Australia largely happens in those big cities if it has been imported from what are wrongly classed as “remote” areas of Australia.

This art has come from Aboriginal people—and I think few here this evening would doubt that.

Australian art, for so long deemed to be a reflection of European art, taste, theory and belief has been turned upside on its head.

And at the heart of this has been a philosophy of art being in the land and its people; as well as of the land and its people.

And of course, that is what we see today most obviously with Kakadu mulil bim—the printmakers of Kakadu. As well as experienced artists such as Ivan Namanyirlk, we have upcoming artists such as Mandy Muir.

Aboriginal artists from many thousands of years ago and the use of stencils in rock painting have arguably been amongst the most ancient of print makers. The etchings we see here are part of thisvery, very long tradition.

But just as interestingly, we see alongside these artists someone who has also worked closely with them: Caroline Rannersberger. Of course she comes from a vastly different cultural tradition—but her work is also intimately connected with ideas and discussion about country—about land.

I’ve said this privately before, but I don’t want to be seen as the Arts Minister from an Aboriginal heritage who only opens exhibitions of Aboriginal artists. The beauty of that desire is that I am the Northern Territory arts minister, and that so many artists seek similar inspiration in the land that I love.

More than anywhere in the nation we have artists from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous heritage that work alongside each other—who learn from each other—who can inspire each other.

You only have to look at the work of performance groups such as Tracks or at exhibition such as that at last year’s Darwin Festival—RePlant—to understand this. Or the performance by the Darwin Symphony Festival with Desert Song in Alice Springs to know that things are happening up here that are barely possible in other parts of Australia.

Printmaking in Western Arnhem Land was first established by a non-Indigenous artist working at Injalak at Gunbalanya. This tradition of extending new media has been continued through this exhibition and Northern Editions through Caroline and, of course, Leon Stainer, our master printer.

Likewise, it is impossible to suppose that Caroline’s work—although deeply centred in her own culture—has been heavily influenced by the country and people of Western Arnhem Land and Kakadu. Caroline is part of a new tradition of non-Indigenous artists in the Northern Territory that learn from this place.

Northern Editions:

Once again, thank you for giving me the real pleasure of opening an exhibition here. I can assure you that this pleasure is doubled by having two exhibitions to open at once—two exhibitions that I am sure everyone here will agree, are important additions to the tradition of Northern Editions, and to the development of art in the Northern Territory.

Thank you.