William Mackinnon The lucky country?
acrylic, oil and enamel on linen
2 panels: each 201 x 150 cm; 201 x 300 cm overall
This painting depicts me as a field officer for Papunya Tula, during a time where I spent two years in central Australia and the Kimberley, mixing paint for the great artist Naata Nungurrayi in Kintore. It was the time when I came to understand the significance and depth of Aboriginal culture (Pintupi culture in this case) and their true connection to country.
The contemporary reality is bleak. But times were also tempered with amazing people really trying to help heal what is still an open wound caused by colonisation, trauma and disenfranchisement. It is very complex, and that is what I am trying to get across here. The nuances.
William Mackinnon, 2018