Advance Australia not fair
2019
Medium
wool and cotton on printed cotton
Measurements
71.5 × 42.3 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2020
© Kait James
Gallery location
Gallery 1
Ground Level, NGV Australia
About this work
With Advance Australia not fair, Kait James challenges Australian patriotism by subverting well known symbols of national pride. A vintage tea towel from 1984 depicts an Aboriginal man surrounded by ‘Aboriginalia’, outdated imagery associated with First Nations peoples that was often used on souvenirs and commercial products. Over top of the original tea towel, James has embroidered hot pink lettering reading ‘NOT FAIR’ on either side of an Australian flag bearing the slogan ‘Advance Australia’. The embellishments also include a reference to the Collingwood murals Keith Haring famously painted while visiting Melbourne, highlighting the little known contribution of the Victorian Aboriginal community to their creation.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Melbourne, Victoria
Inscription
stitched in green cotton l.r.: KJ
Accession Number
2020.166
Department
First Nations Australia