When the Sky Fell Referendum Art Exhibition

What to expect from the When the Sky Fell – Legaciesof the 1967 Referendum art exhibition

The PerthInstitute of Contemporary Arts is host to an amalgam of modern and traditionaltakes on Indigenous Australian art, in celebration of the 50thanniversary of the 1967 Referendum. The exhibition, entitled “When the Sky Fell– Legacies of the 1967 Referendum”, will take place at the Cultural Centre inNorthbridge and be available to the public, free of charge, from July 2 toAugust 20.

Comprising of adiverse range of pieces from 26 different WA artists, When the Sky Fell acknowledgesthe unexpected consequences and ongoing impact of the referendum.

The 1967 FederalReferendum allowed for two major refinements to the Australian constitution,the acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in thecensus, as well as the empowerment of parliament to create specifiedlegislation for Aboriginal people. Of course, this had both positive andnegative outcomes.

Curated byClothide Bullen, this landmark exhibition manifests the perspectives of thosewho were and still are affected by these amendments. Here’s what to expect:

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STORYTELLING

IndigenousAustralian culture is rooted in traditional storytelling. This exhibition isjust that, stories that have been and will continue to be preserved and passeddown from generations of Aboriginal people.

Kathy Ramsey’s 2016ochre on canvas piece, “Bow River Country”, recalls two stories, detailingGreen Vale, a “special place” within the area.

Ramsey statesthe sharp rock located in the centre has a dreaming story entitled ‘Gurrjuny’,which translates to Bush Potato. Remarkably, this story was told to MonaRamsey, who told Kathy, resulting in it being passed down from grandmother tomother to daughter.

Meanwhile,another area depicted assumes “Jack’s Yard”, where Kathy discusses hergrandfather’s discovery of a cave, inside of which were paintings from theirancestors and remains of ash from fire.

 MEMORIES

In reading the commentaryand motives behind the art, a strong sense of intergenerational oral traditionis present. Reminiscing is very much an important aspect of the exhibition.

The colossal 300by 500 cm acrylic painting, “Ngamoo Ngamoo Ninghi The Olden Days”, by MervynStreet this year, demonstrates this notion with precision. Street recallsstories his mother used to tell him and his own personal experiences, followinga drive past the Dingo Flour Company silo located in North Fremantle. 

In reminiscing whathe called “good times”, despite working for only rations, he explains the reddingo symbolised plain flour, whereas the black dingo meant self-raising flour.

A UNIQUE APPRECIATION FOR OUR LAND

A passionate,universal value of the land permeates each piece within the exhibition. Thisidea intertwines with and accentuates recurring concepts of place andstorytelling. This, in turn, has resulted in a beautiful and comprehensivecollection of responses and narrative threads.

“Bungundi”embodies this, in which the artist, Lindsay Malay, visually expresses hishomeland and beliefs in reincarnation, or ‘Judinbar’. “We have a strongconnection with our land and stories and our culture and believe we come frombefore human life in that land”, Malay wrote.

Visually, eachpiece is unique and elegant in its own right. I particularly enjoyed the wideuse of earthy tones and the saddle pieces (pictured below).

I was witness toan impressive evolution of traditional Indigenous Australian artistic stylesand aesthetics. However, the insight I have gained from these “legacies” iswhat impressed me the most.