Courting Blakness: Recalibrating Knowledge in the Sandstone University (Paperback)

Fiona Foley

ISBN 10: 0702253804 / ISBN 13: 9780702253805

Published by University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 2015

About this Item

Paperback. Featuring striking full-colourimages of the artworksas well as essays by artists, curators and academics,Courting Blaknessis a stylish and comprehensive tribute to this innovative project.A celebration of 'Courting Blakness', a groundbreaking exhibition of contemporary Indigenous art.In a bold and unprecedented project, acclaimed international artist Fiona Foley curated a cutting-edge installation in the University of Queensland's sandstone Great Court.Universities have traditionally been elite institutions, overlooking and undervaluing the knowledge contributions of Indigenous thinkers, activists and artists. This history is etched into the walls of the Great Court, with anachronistic concepts of humanity and racial difference revealed in many of the friezes and sculptural reliefs. Fiona Foley and her team of eight Aboriginal artists aimed to challenge these concepts.The 'Courting Blakness' exhibition reclaimed this historically white space, creating a visual dialogue between contemporary Aboriginal art and colonial-inspired architecture. It also sparked important conversations about issues that matter to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.Featuring striking full-colourimages of the artworksas well as essays by artists, curators and academics, Courting Blakness is a stylish and comprehensive tribute to this innovative project. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780702253805

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Courting Blakness: Recalibrating Knowledge in the Sandstone University (Paperback)
• Publisher: University of Queensland Press, St Lucia
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0702253804
• ISBN 13: 9780702253805
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

A celebration of 'Courting Blakness', a groundbreaking exhibition of contemporary Indigenous art In September 2014, Adjunct Professor Fiona Foley and a team of eight Aboriginal artists delivered a cutting-edge installation to the sandstone heart of the University of Queensland's St Lucia campus - the Great Court. Universities have traditionally been elite institutions, isolated and dissociated from the concerns of Indigenous people. For generations, the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander thinkers, activists and artists have been invisible or undervalued in our universities. This history is etched into the walls of the Great Court, with anachronistic concepts of humanity and racial difference revealed in many of the friezes and sculptural reliefs. The Courting Blakness exhibition aimed to reclaim this historically white space, to create a visual dialogue between contemporary Aboriginal art and colonial-inspired architecture. Students and other members of the university community, as well as the general public, were invited to re-engage with the Great Court through conversations about issues that matter to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Comprising beautiful images and essays by the artists, curators and academics who presented at the associated symposium, Courting Blackness: Recalibrating Knowledge in the Sandstone University is a stylish and comprehensive tribute to this innovative project.

About the Author

Fiona Foley is a Badtjala woman and highly regarded Australian artist. She is Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland (2013-17) in the School of Political Science and International Studies. Her work over the past 20 years has addressed the history of race relations in Australia, often utilising recent research into previously untold histories. Louise Martin-Chew is a freelance art writer. She has contributed to magazines, newspapers and catalogues for over 20 years. Dr Fiona Nicoll is a lecturer in the School of English, Media Studies and Art History at the University of Queensland. She has taught and published on the politics of Aboriginal art since 1993.