We have an indigenous population that looks at the landscape through the lens of 60,000 years and produces suitably powerful art, and the relationship to land is inherent. Even when ties are broken, you would think genetic memory plays a part in any artistic response.
I am often drawn to English landscapes and do feel a comfortable resonance, whilst loving the Australian as well. My response to the Australian landscape has to come from outside the family and not from the guidance of past generations. This feels like a disconnect.
Modern and traditional indigenous art can speak to all of us and shows us a way of looking at our country. Hopefully, this art resonates, intrigues, challenges and we can be inspired and influenced by what we see. But it cannot be the way, as non-indigenous Australians, that we make art and show our view the country.
It's a difficult challenge. There have been non-indigenous artists that have shown the Australian landscape in a new way that seems to draw on all sorts of influences. My favourite two are Fred Williams and John Olsen.
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| Fred Williams, Hillside 1966 - Gallery of New South Wales |
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| John Olsen, Sun and Paella 1978 - Olsen Gallery |
At my core I'm a weaver. I want to find a way that this influences other aspects of my art. I continue to try and find my own voice.
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