Seven Sisters Dreaming 1992

Editor: Here we have Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi's "Seven Sisters Dreaming," painted in 1992 using acrylic paint. The canvas is dominated by blues, with clusters of mauve-colored shapes scattered across the top half. The entire painting has a swirling, almost cosmological feel to it. What's your interpretation of this work? Curator: The title gives us a good place to start. Dreamings are narratives central to Aboriginal Australian culture, and the Seven Sisters story—a Pleiades constellation narrative—speaks of a continuous journey, often involving themes of protection and pursuit. Editor: Right, I knew it was connected to indigenous narratives. Curator: Think about the use of colour. The blues aren’t just aesthetic. They evoke a sense of vastness, relating to the night sky but also ancestral connection to place, crucial to Aboriginal identity and cosmology. Nungurrayi uses abstraction, but it's deeply rooted in lived experience and cultural transmission. Where does that intersection of tradition and abstraction lead you? Editor: It makes me think about how this painting exists in a space between the ancestral and the contemporary. She's interpreting the story for her present, and for future generations. Curator: Exactly! And consider how this work enters the Western art market, a space that historically marginalized Aboriginal voices. Can viewing this piece offer insights into ongoing struggles for Indigenous sovereignty and cultural recognition? Editor: I see. So understanding the narrative within a larger historical context is important, it really connects to the artist's experience. Curator: Yes, considering the historical context and cultural significance behind the visual components allows for a greater appreciation of the artistic expression and narrative, while addressing critical issues such as identity, historical representation, and power dynamics. Editor: Thank you! It's given me so much more to consider!