Images of Power

Here, with Images of Power, our attention is directed towards the wealth of creativity engendered by the many artists working in the north-west of Australia – the Kimberley district.

The rugged Kimberley region in the extreme north of Western Australia encompasses an area of about 422,000 square kilometres. It is bounded on the west and north by the sea, on the east by the Ord River and on the south by the Great Sandy Desert. The topography of the Kimberley is marked by the wonderous diversity: it is a region of ranges and gorges, dense river valleys, boab trees and coastal beaches. Sandhill and spinifex desert plains lie to the south.

Significantly, differing painting styles have emerged throughout the region in response to the varying terrain. These complex artistic expressions are also indicative of the living, heterogenous forms of Aboriginal culture and language. Yet, despite this aesthetic variation, most contemporary art from the Kimberley shares a fundamental ingredient – it seeks to be a visual ‘voice’ which reinforces the prerogative of Aboriginal land rights. Thus, Kimberley artists actively participate in a process which will ensure the continued existence and maintenance of their own religion, language and culture.

Sourced from: Images of Power: Aboriginal Art of the Kimberley, National Gallery of Victoria, 1993