"Vincent Namatjira: Australia in colour,"
is a Tarnanthi touring exhibition presented by the Art
Gallery of South Australia in partnership with the
National Gallery of Australia. Supported by Tarnanthi
Principal Partner BHP and the Government of South
Australia.

Hi Foxy,

Back in 2016 my wife had her portrait painted (it was a gift to her from a very dear friend) it was done by one of Australia's leading "Pop Artists" Te doesn't like it, she has it hanging in the sun room facing the back door. I insisted it had to be hung up as I happen to like it, its certainly not grotesque, but its style is somewhat accentuating of her features. Unfortunately this site doesn't have anyway to post pics as I'd like your comment.

Hi Paul,

I'm sure that we all have had " portraits" done that we've
cringed at. Be it passport photos, or just photos
in general. We see ourselves one way, the camera
sees us in another way. And, of course artists - have their
interpretations. As Vincent Namatjira's work shows us.

Vincent Namatjira's style is that of a satirist.
His aim is more
than just painting flattering mirror image portraits.
He looks at the politics of history, power, and
leadership, from a modern Aboriginal perspective.

He's not out to gain approval. He presents things as he sees
them from a very subjective point of view.

I wish I could see your wife's portrait. I imagine her to be
a lady of strong character which would be reflected in the
art work. I guess with art - it's not about what you look at
that matters, it's what you see.

Portraits are personal representations. They are very different from photographs taken for IDs and passports.

I'm sure that natural historians saw great scientific value in the skeletal remains they collected and studied, but was it right for them to to take those remains without permission?

Hi Fester,

There are thousands, if not millions of Indigenous
items and artifacts locked up in institutions all
over the world.

The repatriation of cultural items and remains held in
museums continue to this day. In the Natural History
Museum and the British Museum alone it's been
discovered that 1,500 artifacts have been stolen for
them - over the past decade.
Museums refuse to give them up saying
the artifacts are safer in their possession.

There needs to be a good rationale for exhibiting human
remains. It's one thing to have human remains accessible to
researchers who have a strong scientific case for accessing
them, but it's quite another which is disrespectful to, and
harmful in many cultures to use the displays for material
gains.

I do believe the artists Henry VIII commissioned to paint the portrait of Anne of Cleves, by travelling to Germany before Henry and she were to be married. Henry had his head cut off, not because he didn't painted Anne as a beautiful woman, he did that, no because he didn't paint her ugly as Henry discovered when Anne finally arrived in England from Germany. Around that time The name escapes me, it might have been Thomas Cromwell,he demanded his portrait artists paint him literally warts and all, something not done to a noble or high ranking person at that time. A portrait was used to impress ones friends etc.

p/s Anne Of Cleves had the last laugh, she out lived the gout riddled Henry by about 16 years.