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Reko Rennie

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Reko Rennie

I just don’t know what to say about Rennie’s work. I kind of hate it, and I struggle to justify the statement.  The coulours are horrible the patterns rarely compliment the work his compositions don’t seem to be much other than sticking something right in the middle of the piece. If there is an intelligent or witty reason behind his many of his juxtapositions I sure can’t see them. Maybe we’ve just been spoilt by the likes of Banksy.

Now we I will be nicer, his use of icon is like many street artists is exceptional and as in aboriginal art where these icons are used extensively his art uses them to effect, although the effect may in many cases have lost its integral story which made the work significant in the first place. I search for something more in his work something personal. And I don’t know why because generally much graffiti has little more significance than showing how skillfully you can jump an fence and paint your name on a wall, I just want his work to mean more than that to me, I feel as though it should mean something more.  I think it is great that he doesn’t try to make his art aboriginal in any traditional sense but rather focuses on his identity as a modern aboriginal. “I’’ve grown up in the city, I’m an urban dude an these are also part of my roots”

Although I do seem to like his work the more I look at it, (maybe my eyes are just getting used to the colors) although I do have one nagging thought, his constant repetition of exactly the same images over years and several exhibitions but simply in different colours. As a graphic designer I think that he has created an immensely strong visual identity (branding for himself) you can tell without doubt that the work is his. But does that make him an artist? My answer is yes, there is no reason an artist can’t reproduce the same work over and over again, but as an artist isn’t the whole point pushing the boundaries and creating an experience for the viewer? At least he is copying his own work unlike Thierry Guetta “Mr. Brainwash" the eccentric Frenchman made famous from the film exit through the gift shop.

Piece HOMEBRAND solo exhibition at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute 2011.

I really like this piece mainly because it is smart and different, but also because it works as an interesting juxtaposition, not because it is some ridiculous colour.  The replacement of  the badge of each Australian state on the shield with the image of an aboriginal man, suggests that that Australia is indeed aboriginal if the replacement of the word Australia with (Ab)original isn’t clear enough for you.

HOMEBRAND solo exhibition at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute 2011.

This  piece also from the HOMEBRAND exhibition is probably my favorite piece of work by Rennie. The silver line work is light yet still suggests volume I find it similar to aboriginal x ray art. This piece is one of the very few where the patterns pained in the background greatly compliment his work instead of detracting from it. The ‘waves or ripples’ instantly give the bird a connection to the surface it is pained on rather than sitting in the middle all out of place.

One thing I do like about the work of Rennie is it’s political nature and it’s fight just to have aboriginal people thought about rather than swept under the rug.

I was amazed and greatly impressed when I found this image on Rennie’s site it is an amazing piece it is creative, playful and different, unfortunately after a little research I found that it’s not his work it is the work of Bujangan Urban, if only Rennie did work as original and unique as this!  Although I almost think the tags all over the piece detract from the main text I certainly think they bring interesting colour to the piece similar colours to those which I dislike in Rennie’s work seem much more at home on this style of work instead of in blocks behind otherwise interesting imagery.

Albert Namatjira

Albert Namatjira

Albert Namatjira | Arrernte (Aranda) language group Australia 1902-1959 | The Finke River Gorge at entrance to Glen Helen c.1945-53 Watercolour and gouache over pencil | on thick wove paper | 53.4 x 36.8cm | Gift of Lady Trout 1981 Collection: Queensland Art Gallery © Legend Press

I really enjoy the work of Albert Namatjira, mainly because I love the Australian landscape, and that is his major subject matter  of most of his paintings. I think his use of watercolors, to create such realistic landscapes  is amazing as I know how hard they can be to work with compared to oil based paints where you can simply pain over and change details with comparative ease. I think his use of colour is simplistic, understated and provided a rather accurate yet somehow romantic portrayal of the Australian outback. I particularly like the way he uses a blue hue to represent the distance of far away mountain ranges not only is it accurate but is joins the landscape with the sky which I find is a primary aspect of the landscape. It is also interesting to me that after his success as an artist became substantial that he chose to (as he was expected to do) share his wealth with his extended family in this case being his entire community. Although it may have been what he was expected to do in his culture I can imagine that it would have been quite easy for him to take his wife and live like wealthy white rich man after the government  ‘granted’ them basic rights which were not given to normal aborigines.

MT HERMANNSBURG

ALBERT NAMATJIRA
Australia 1902 - 1959

MT HERMANNSBURG
watercolour on paper
39 x 56.5 cm
Collection: Ngurratjuta Pmara Corporation Collection
Araluen Galleries Alice Springs