Julie Dowling Art Essay free essay sample

Dowling is one of Australia’s best known contemporary artists. Born in 1969 as a white-skinned Aboriginal in the Perth suburb of Subiaco and growing up in the outer bushland suburb of Redcliffe, Dowling faced many rejections and abuse throughout her childhood which is conveyed in her artwork. As an artist, Dowling concerns herself with the ideology of Aboriginal identity and their ancestors’ perspective of Australian history. Consciously merging the art styles of European and indigenous conventions into her work, Dowling establishes the links between her background and that of her relatives. Dowling draws upon many experiences, but mostly from what she describes as â€Å" a culturally disposed family.. † Julie Dowling, being apart of the Badimia language Aboriginal group, having a single mother, and living of welfare payments, is a product of generations of displaced and rejected women and thus through her artwork highlights the issues which were faced by thousands of aboriginal women through the â€Å"White-Australia† period. As an artist, Dowling incorporates different concepts to convey her ideas, including Renaissance art and Western Art. Her work is strictly intimate and therefore the meanings conveyed are often easy to make sense of. Dowling’s work has been described as ethnography, recording the injustices and discrimination against Aboriginal people. As part of her art education, Dowling was awarded a Diploma of Fine Art at Claremont School of Art in 1989, a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Curtin University in 1992, an Associate Diploma in Visual Arts Management at Perth Metropolitan TAFE in 1995 and Honorary Doctorate in Literature (Painting) from Murdoch University 2002. Throughout her career, Dowling has exhibited her works at national and international levels, which include art galleries such as notably at Art Fair Cologne in 1997, Beyond the Pale: Contemporary Indigenous Art. 3) Julie Dowling uses events of the past and particularly the history of Aboriginal women in Australia to give meaning and inspiration to her work. Relevant events to her artwork include those such as; the â€Å"White-Australia† policy, and the Stolen Generation, as both these events altered the way of life for thousands of Aboriginal people and their children. Dowling states that one of the main reasons for her interest in portraiture begun when her family started to look for missing members of the family, whom were taken as part of the Stolen Generation. The Stolen Generations are known as the Aboriginal children whom were taken away from their families by governments and churches to be brought up in institutions or fostered out to white families, as part of a scheme to assimilate and ‘civilise’ Aboriginal children into the white community. It was not until 1969 when this policy was ended. Another event which is clearly evident in Dowling’s work is the everyday discrimination against Aboriginal people which occurred in the past. â€Å"Dowling’s paintings assert her Aboriginality, connecting the past and the present and keeping alive the oral histories of her people. †-anonymous art critic. Through this comment, it can be established that Dowling is able to convey her stories clearly and without confusion. It reinforces that her focus is upon sharing the perspective of her people and Aboriginal community. 4) Due to the fact that Julie Dowling is part of the Social-Realism movement, her work mostly reflects upon social and cultural issues in relation to Aboriginal people of Australia. Since the 90’s, Dowling’s work has resembled many issues including the disregard for Aboriginal woman, the general abuse and rejection of Aboriginals, the degradation of the Aboriginal culture and the land which was stolen from them. These cultural issues can be seen in works such as; â€Å"Walyer†2006. The artwork is a painting of a famous Aboriginal resistance fighter, whom was kidnapped during her childhood, and then sold, and became the first Aboriginal woman to shoot firearms. The artwork demonstrates the cultural frame of Aboriginal versus European, as it can be seen in the artwork that Walyer is pointing to European settlements, presumably challenging the social issue of disregard to the Aboriginal women. ) â€Å"Uncle Freedom† by Julie Dowling was created 2000. The painting was completed with acrylics and red ochre on canvas, with dimensions of 100 x 120cm. The artwork consists of a monochromatic colour scheme, with different shades and tones of blacks, greys and little white. Within the centre of the composition is a human figure, with traditional Aboriginal features which is demonstrated through the facial features and little clothing. The man appears quite strong as his muscles are quite defined. Chains leading from the right and left foreground, are wrapped and tied around his neck in a constricting manner. Also in the composition, is two heads with distinct and detailed facial features, placed on either side, behind the front figure. Emphasis is placed on the main figure due to the colour contrast between the highlighted tones on his body, and the darker colour of the background. Movement has been created in the piece through the organic and flowing lines of the chains. Dowling created unity in the artwork through the repetition of the human figures and the organic lines which are visible within them. Dowling uses various symbols such as the chains and spears to communicate the story of the man. The symbolism of the spears can be interpreted as if the figures in the background are looking over and protecting the captured man. The use of organic lines and shapes add to the reality of the painting. The painting is visually balanced symmetrically as the two men and two chains are in equal on the sides and to the man in the centre. In my personal opinion, i believe the painting effectively conveys the idea of being captured, and in a wider context, that it is a reflection upon the treatment of Aboriginal people during the settler years of Australia. Through the symbolism of the spears and traditional attire of the men, it can be concluded that they were in battle, presumably a fight for their rights. As the men in the background are faded, it can resemble past ancestors of the man in the foreground, looking down on him and protecting him. In conclusion, I believe that Julie Dowling was able to create a very powerful piece as well as a ethnography of her ancestors experience, illustrating the injustice which was done to them, throughout the history of the colonial period of Australia. Another artwork by Julie Dowling, communicating the story of her community is â€Å"The Ungrateful. † 1999, synthetic polymer paint, oil and gold on canvas. 100 x 120 cm. The composition of the artwork consists of three Aboriginal children depicted in â€Å"Western clothing†, placed next to a white woman. The children consist of three little girls and a boy. The background is composed of Indigenous Aboriginal dot painting. Emphasis in the artwork is created through the colour palette, as the children’s faces contrast against their white attire, and the woman’s skin tone is contrasted against the darker tone of the children and therefore the viewer’s eye is simultaneously drawn to all the figures. The balance within the composition is asymmetrical as the artwork visually weighs more to the left due to the fact that the figures are larger in size compared to the figures on the right-hand side. Dowling creates juxtaposition in the artwork through the use of colour, line and shape which differs between the Aboriginal children and the European female. In my personal opinion, the painting resembles the stolen generation. This is due to the fact that the children are placed by the side of a white lady, and that they are dressed in Western clothing and there is no sign of their traditional customs, which leads one to believe that they have been taken from their roots. Symbolism such as the attire of the children, can be interpreted as if the children have become civilised and pure according to the western society, who removed them from their parents. ( due to the colour white association. ) The artwork also reflects the hurt and injustice that the children witnessed through the incorporation of the emotionless and sad faces, which is a contrast to the stereotypical â€Å"young and happy† emotions usually associated with children. I like the way in which Dowling has communicated the idea of the Stolen Generation through the cleverly created juxtaposition between the two cultures. The painting is part of the Social-Realism movement as it comments upon an issue which has had great impacts on many people. Through the title â€Å" The ungrateful† two possible meanings can be detained, but personally, i believe that the title reflects upon the view of the Aboriginal community, and sharing their view of un-appreciation to the Europeans for stealing and causing grief to so many of their children. Through selecting Julie Dowling as my art-case study artist, i have grown to like her work and the ways through which she communicates her ideas. I am able to identify with some of her works about the cultural differences which Aboriginal and European people experienced in the past, as being an immigrant to Australia, i have also experienced many social differences and can therefore relate to the confusion of the early Aboriginal people. I have been inspired by Julie Dowling in both my artworks. In my sculpture peice, she had inspired me to comment upon the different social stereotypes of people around the world, and their values and attitudes, similar to the way in which she tries to communicate the perspective and story of her ancestors and family’s. Inspiration for my painting has also been drawn from Dowling’s work â€Å"Uncle Freedom†, as through the piece she illustrates the constraint which was put upon her ancestors. Similarly in my piece, I want to illustrate the constraints i felt growing up in South Africa, and then finally â€Å"breaking through† upon arrival in Australia.