Re-take: Contemporary Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Photography
24 June - 27 August
National Gallery of Australia touring exhibition
Indigenous people have been photographed since the invention of the camera. These early images were viewed as records of a curious people, photographs of a supposedly dying race, who were also 'captured' or 'shot' by the camera for 'scientific' purposes. It was not until the 1980s however that Indigenous photographers assumed a prominent position in both the Australian and international art scene. Taking the camera into their own hands, these artists re-take, re-present, re-claim, and largely re-configure representations of Indigeneity.
Re-take: Contemporary Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Photography showcases the work of Indigenous photographers from the 1960s to the 1990s. Undeniably political, the photographs in the exhibition focus on issues such as the history of European occupation of Australia, Aboriginal sovereignty, and the nature of photographic representation, while remaining an upbeat celebration of the strength of Indigenous culture. In 'taking on' the photographic medium, the works in Re-take not only counteract denigrating and stereotypical representations of Indigenous people, but highlight the vastly different voices (and concerns) encompassed by this label.