Handbook

This course aims to challenge the mainstream view that Aboriginal art exists only in the Desert or the Top End regions of Australia through a study of exhibitions, writings and films from the seminal exhibition 'Koori Art 84' through to the present day. This course will provide the opportunity to investigate an arts paradigm that currently sits outside the general view of what consititues Australian art but conversely is seen as an integral force that initiates and drives many of the discussions that surround contemporary Australian art history and theory. Topics covered include photography, political art, established and emerging artists, the 'gentle arts', films, artists collectives, the role of media in the promotion of Aboriginal art, exhibitions, catalogues and art criticism. The course will include guest speakers who are at the forefront of their chosen area of practice or area of expertise. Students will investigate the presentation and treatment of Aboriginal art and artists at galleries and museums while also examining the changing theories/styles of catalogue writing and art criticism over the past 25 years.