Artworks

When you think of Aboriginal art, you tend to think of traditional styles—say the dot paintings of the desert artists, or maybe the more figurative contemporary work of urban artists. But the Indigenous art of Far North Queensland isn't really either of these things—it's not urban, but it's not really traditional either.

Mornington Island is in the Gulf of Carpentaria, and today there are around thirty artists who work out of the local arts centre. They paint on canvas, using brilliant, bright colours. It's work that's in hot demand around the world. These artists feature in a new book called The Heart of Everything. The co-author is Louise Martin-Chew, and she's speaking with Julie Copeland.

Publications

Title: The Heart of Everything - the art and artists of Mornington and Bentinck Islands
Author: Nicholas Evans, Louise Martin-Chew & Paul Memmott
Publisher: McCulloch & McCulloch Australian Art Books, 2008 ISBN: 9780980449402

Title: Dollar Dreaming - Inside the Aboriginal Art World
Author: Benjamin Genoocchio
Publisher: Hardie Grant Books, 2008 ISBN 978 1 74066 609 1

Story Researcher and Producer

Julie Copeland

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