POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Dish by Martin Boyd Potteries

Object No. 85/1060

‘Aboriginalia’ was popularised during the 1950s, rooted in colonisation, and is imitative of Indigenous artworks and cultural Identities. Examples of Aboriginalia can include boomerangs, didgeridoos, bullroarers, as well as common household items decorated with traditional designs and motifs. While a small proportion of some Aboriginalia is made by First Nations artists, the vast majority of Aboriginalia was made by non-indigenous people appropriating traditional techniques or designs gleaned from ethnographic museum collections. This type of artwork is often sold as souvenirs or decorative items represents an appropriation of local and international audiences’ deep interest for First Nations Aboriginal culture and decorative arts. Bill Onus, a Yorta Yorta man from Melbourne along with the Timbery Family of La Perouse in Sydney, were one of the very few First Nations people on the forefront of the Aboriginalia wave back in the early 1960s. Despite facing challenges of living under assimilationist government policies and government interventions such as the Stolen Generations policies that deeply impacted theirs and their extended families’ lives, the Onus’s and the Timberys turned cottage industries of making authentic cultural artefacts into thriving businesses that supported their families and developed a sense of pride amongst their countrymen. For some First Nations people, these objects hold a sentimental value, often being the first type of representation of First Nations culture they engaged with within family homes. On the other side, this type of decorative arts is a reminder of the post-war market where non-indigenous artists stole and profited from traditional designs while stereotyping and sexualizing First Nations people. Notable contemporary artists working to reclaim this style of art are KuKu and Erub/Mer artist, Destiny Deacon, and Girramay, Yidinji, and Kuku Yalanji artist, Tony Albert. While going forward the Powerhouse seeks to only acquire works that represent First Nations cultures and peoples that are made by First Nations peoples, we recognise the impact these objects had to the Australian design scene, their role in truth telling about our shared history and acknowledge all held sentiments towards these works. Madeline Poll, Assistant Curator, 2024

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Summary

Object Statement

Dish, earthenware, Martin Boyd Potteries, Australia, 1950-1960

Physical Description

Dish, earthenware, Martin Boyd Potteries, Australia, 1950-1960

DIMENSIONS

Height

25 mm

Width

110 mm

Depth

110 mm

SOURCE

Credit Line

Gift of Leslie Campbell-Brown, 1985

Acquisition Date

1 July 1985

Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.

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