Untitled 2005

Editor: We're looking at an untitled painting by Makinti Napanangka, created in 2005 using acrylic on canvas. I’m immediately struck by the raw, almost earthy texture achieved with the acrylics. What story can you unpack for us by looking at the materiality of the piece? Curator: Well, let’s consider the use of acrylic paint, a relatively modern medium for an Indigenous artist. It moves the art from traditional ochres and natural pigments and speaks to the introduction of industrial materials and the influence of Western art supplies and markets on Indigenous art production. Does this adoption threaten tradition or provide agency? Editor: That's a really interesting tension. It’s also tempting to see patterns relating to landforms, yet this seems more like an exercise in repetitive application, a kind of mark-making. Do you agree? Curator: I think the mark-making is critical. The act of repeatedly applying the paint becomes a record of labour, perhaps reflecting a connection to place or stories of the land. Are these purely aesthetic or connected to labor inherent in claiming cultural connections and ownership? What processes dictated these compositions, and what’s lost in translation when we apply a purely Western art historical lens? Editor: So you're saying it's important to acknowledge both the cultural origins and the more immediate circumstances surrounding its creation. Considering what was at stake at the time the artist made this piece. Curator: Precisely. Understanding how the material constraints and opportunities influence artistic expression is key here. Editor: Thinking about it now, the combination of those two approaches seems to be crucial to understanding and contextualizing art from any culture, not just Indigenous art. Curator: Agreed. And remembering that “Untitled” speaks to how these artworks were originally approached from a non-indigenous context.