‘We don’t need a map’ is an exhibition that represents the culture and experiences shared by the Martu – the traditional owners of a wide area of Western Australia’s Western Desert. Following its successful opening at Fremantle Arts Centre in 2013, spectators embark on an unfamiliar journey at McClelland Sculpture Park & Gallery where they are given the opportunity to witness and explore a culture of deep spirituality.
This travelling exhibition brings together the work of more than thirty artists who have each partaken in traditional inquiries into the land of the Martu. The use of contemporary media acts as a successful mode of delivery for bringing into existence the importance behind this culture. Within the same space stands paintings composed by senior artists who have documented Martu culture as well as digital animation, video installations, aerial desert photography, cultural objects and photographic portraits. Combining both indigenous and non- indigenous artists, these multidisciplinary methods assist viewers to experience and connect with the people of this region.
Fremantle Arts Centre Director Jim Cathcart announced that he was extremely thrilled that this project broke attendance records in 2013 and will now be witnessed by a national audience, “Many audiences are used to seeing indigenous art in white-walled galleries with little background or clues as to the cultures that created it. The strength of this exhibition is that you are given a deep insight into the lives of the Martu people through their everyday lives, photographs and stories. You’re not just viewing art, you’re meeting the people behind it.”
The artists and organisers are driven by the excitement of knowing that this exhibition will actively reach the gaze of a wide audience as it will tour to six arts centres throughout regional Australia over the next two years. Nola Taylor, a senior Martu artist expresses, “It was really great to see that many people at Fremantle, all those visitors to look at our work, see what our painting is all about, so many faces it was really, really good. Not many people come out here to the desert but they can see the ‘We don’t need a map’ exhibition and experience a little bit of our desert.”
One of the highlights of the exhibition is the 500 x 300cm Karlamilyi painting by sisters Lily Long and Amy French. This piece harbors a collective abundance of colour that hints a cryptic narrative from the artists’ personal experience from journeys through country, ancestors, animals, plants and waterholes together with other important sites connected to their country. The large-scale aerial photographs are a striking feature pronouncing a new observation of this sacred place. Land interpretation and mapping material has also been offered to the exhibition from the Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa, a Martu controlled organisation that aims to build strong communities based on Martu culture and knowledge.
‘We don’t need a map’ holds its significance as it encourages reflection when faced with creatively provoking work. In our modern society, we can easily become accustomed to our daily habits, so much so that we loose sight of other ways of life. It can be mind opening to tap into traditional cultures to gain insight into the way they conduct their lives while still achieving a strong level of sustainability due to the respect demonstrated towards their surrounding land and all that grows within it.
McClelland Sculpture Park & Gallery
16 August to 2 November, 2014
Victoria
Amy French and Lily Long, Karlamilyi, acrylic on linen, 300 x 500cm
Kumpaya Gigirba and Ngamaru Bidu, Marra! (catch it!), 2010
Photography: Gabrielle Sullivan
Courtesy the artists, Fremantle Arts Centre and McClelland Sculpture Park + Gallery
