Firebrand II: In Focus - Ian Waldron 'Into the Woods' and Lin Onus, Michael Eather, Tiriki Onus and Walala Tjapaltjarri 'Collaborative Corner'
Firebrand II welcomes North Queensland based Ian Waldron – a most versatile and dynamic Indigenous artist – with an exciting new collection of mixed media works titled Into the woods. This exhibition includes 6 quirky 3D dioramas – in collaboration with Katrina Chapman – alongside painted photographic works revealing a fresh, almost surrealist, perspective of an Indigenous landscape.
In the accompanying catalogue essay, Katrina Chapman writes: Ian Waldron’s eighth major solo exhibition, Into the Woods is about mystery, not the solving of it, but a celebration of how embracing it enriches our lives as nothing else can. The woods serve as an analogy for the metaphysical world, represented visually as the scrub on Waldron’s country.
Collaborative Corner presents selected time capsules from our stockroom. Between 1987 and 1996, legendary artist Lin Onus (1948-1996) and Michael Eather co-developed ideas and the seminal imagery of the dingo and the stingray that culminated into The Ongoing Adventures of X and Ray. Following Lin’s untimely death these images have been extended into sculpture and mixed media with Lin’s son Tiriki Onus and Michael (working together as Mandjad Productions). As well on exhibition are the original fiberglass sculptures and limited edition prints featuring the characters X and Ray.
Pintupi artist Walala Tjapaltjarri created world news in the early 1990s by walking out of the Gibson Desert with his family having never encountered European culture. Between 2000 and 2005 Walala regularly travelled from Alice Springs to FireWorks studios and alongside Brisbane artists created new works, including limited edition sculptures, drawings and paintings in a variety of new media including ink, metallic paints, steel and timber. Over time the artist has developed a striking visual brand of Tingari – men’s intitiation ceremony.
