WHEN : 11th June – 20th July
WHERE : Fireworks Gallery
Totems are beguiling and mysterious, affording the viewer a glimpse into deep spiritual traditions. A particular magic occurs when aesthetics and meaning are complimentary, when the essence of the story is captured in the art. This happens with Bloodwood Totems – the dancing shimmer of the pole announcing its iconic status. The trees imbue landscapes with totemic significance, placing the sacred into the everyday. Painting the Bloodwood has become a meditation for Ian on ancestors and relationship to country. Waldron’s Bloodwood Totems appear in various contexts, as the sole subject of a painting, or making a cameo in the background of a landscape. They come alive and their presence can be felt as if they are about to take leave of their place on the canvas and enter our dimension. The appearance of the Bloodwood Totems, turning up anywhere, anytime, parallels the essence of Aboriginal spirituality – it is non-site or time specific, it does not change in relation to how far from country someone lives or how long it has been since detailed ceremony was known and practiced. The absence of stylistic references has allowed Ian complete freedom of interpretation. While bearing no definable relation to traditional artistic styles from Kurtjar country, the potency of the symbol has been translated perfectly and powerfully.
Image: Ian Waldron, Language learned, culture regained 2010
