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Djon Mundine
OAM
Born
John Mundine

Grafton, New South Wales, Australia
AwardsRed Ochre Award
Websitewww.djonmundine.com

Djon Mundine OAM (born 1951) is an Aboriginal Australian artist, curator, activist and writer. He is a member of the Bundjalung people of northern New South Wales. He is known for having conceived the 1988 work Aboriginal Memorial, on display at the National Gallery of Art in Canberra.

Early life

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Djon was born in Grafton, New South Wales in 1951. He was born 6th of 11 children to Roy Mundine and Olive Bridgette Mundine (nee Donovan). John's father Roy was a union stockman, and Olive's father had joined the first Indigenous Australian political party, the Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association, in the 1920s.[1] His family was very poor growing up, but he credits his father with encouraging the children to think: "I suppose you're not supposed to talk about sex and politics and religion at the table, but he'd get us to talk about whatever was in the papers."[2] He is the elder brother of former politician Nyunggai Warren Mundine.[3]

He is a Wehbal man from the West Bundjalung nation, from the Northern Rivers of New South Wales.[4] He is also a descendant of the Yuin people.[5]

Mundine spent his early life in South Grafton.[1] He was exposed to the traditions of Aboriginal art and technique from a young age.[6]

In 1963, his family settled in the western Sydney suburb of Auburn.[1] Mundine went to the Marist Brothers College then called Benedict College, and went on to commence study at Macquarie University.[2]

Art career

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After deciding that college was not the right path for him, he became an art adviser at Milingimbi Art Centre[7] as art and craft advisor at Milingimbi in the Crocodile Islands in 1979, and afterwards as curator and adviser at Bula'Bula Arts in Ramingining, in Arnhem Land, for 16 years. There he conceived of the concept for the famous Aboriginal Memorial, which is on permanent display at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.[6][7][8]

Arafura Swamp Ramingining

Mundine is particularly well-known for his work as the concept artist and producer of the Aboriginal Memorial. This is a work of contemporary Indigenous Australian art comprising 200 decorated hollow log coffins, offered as a commemoration of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations in 1988; the log coffins represent 200 years of European occupation of Australia. Their design directly references the traditional hollow log mortuary ceremony of Central Arnhem Land,[9][10] commemorates those Indigenous Australians who died as a result of European settlement. The work was realised by 43 artists from Ramingining and neighbouring communities of Central Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory, including David Malangi, George Milpurrurru, and Philip Gudthaykudthay. It was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia, where it is on permanent display. Its first exhibition was at the Sydney Biennale in 1988, and it has travelled to various galleries around the world over the years.[8]

In 1994 he co-curated (with Fiona Foley) Tyerabowbarwarryaou — I Shall never Become a Whiteman,[11] for the Havana Biennial and Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. Tyerabowbarwarryaou was the first exhibition to exhibit contemporary Aboriginal art at the MCA. Mundine was a curator for Aratjara exhibition, which travelled to Dusseldorf, London, and Denmark, 1993–94. In 1994 Mundine and Foley worked together to co-create the Aboriginal Art: The Arnott's Collection exhibition at the MCA.[12] The exhibition was the first public display of the Arnott's Biscuits Collection of Aboriginal Bark Paintings, which comprises 275 bark paintings donated to the MCA in June 1993 by Arnott's Biscuits. The collection features works from the 1960s through to the early 1980s by important artists from the creative hubs in and around Groote Eylandt, Yirrkala, Galiwin'ku, Milingimbi, Maningrida, Ramingining, Gunbalanya, Wadeye, and the Tiwi Islands.

The Native Born (1996, MCA), was an exhibition and publication showing ceremonial and utilitarian weaving and artistic work from Ramingining community.[13] This led to the inclusion of artists such as Robyn Djunginy in the 1998 Sydney Biennale.[14] They are Meditating: Bark Paintings from the Museum of Contemporary Art's Arnott Collection (2008) was another major exhibition,[15] which consisted of over 200 objects from the Ramingining Collection. He divided the collection between six different environments in the Ramingining area : Larrtha'puy (mangroves), Diltjipuy (forests); Gulunbuy (waterholes); Retjapuy (jungles); Rangipuy(beaches); and Ninydjiyapuy (plains). Mundine honoured the intricate kinship system of Aboriginal culture by using pieces that not only depicted objects in nature, but also represented the histories and social structures of Aboriginal Australia.[16]

In 2008, Mundine created an exhibition called Etched in the Sun. The exhibition was organised held at Drill Hall Gallery in Canberra. It consisted of several fine art prints representing years of collaboration between Aboriginal artists and fine art printers. Artwork made between 1997 and 2007 by Indigenous artists such as Judy Watson, Banduk Marika, and Jean Baptiste Apuatimi were included.[17]

Another exhibition that he curated in 2008 was the Ngadhu, ngulili, ngeaninyagu: a personal history of Aboriginal art in the Premier State. It was held at the Campbelltown Arts Centre, and included work from artists like Brooke Andrew, Bronwyn Bancroft, and Badger Bates.[18]

In 2020 Mundine won the Australia Council's Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement.[19][7]

In 2022, Mundine led "The Dabee Family Choir Mural Project." The project originated from the Jimmy and Peggy Lambert Memorial Mural in Kandos Museum. It was created to honour the lives of Jimmy and Peggy, who were survivors of the Dabee Massacre in 1823. For the exhibition, Mundine had over 60 descendants finger-paint Peggy and Jimmy's images.[20]

Mundine has been working on the Dingo Project, an exhibition he curated for Ngununggula, which looks into the spiritual mythology and the history of the ancestral dingoes. The project also features works from artists such as Karla Dickens, Fiona Foley, and Daniel Boyd.[21]

As of 2023 Mundine continues to work as an independent curator of contemporary First Nations art, and as cultural mentor for fellow First Nations artists.[22] He has been working on Ngununggula's second Entry Pavilion Commission. The Entry Pavilion Commission is an annual initiative in celebrating Gundungurra language, culture, and history. The exhibition is set to launch on 22 October 2023 and will be open for the public until 26 November.[23]

Practice

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Mundine's curatorial work is known for an emphasis on intricacy and difference in content and style, while not compromising on the artists' cultural and political statements.[6]

He has written on his website: "Art is a cultural expression; a history of a people; a statement through a series of life experiences of self-definition; a recounting of an untold story; the bringing to light of a truth of history—a statement possibly unable to be made in any other way."[24]

Other activities

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Along with working at the arts centres, Mundine played a significant role in the community and worked with many regional and community-based organisations across Australia. Mundine has always been dedicated to his culture and community, and joined the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA) as one of its founding members in 1987. He has also held curatorial posts at several institutions, including the Art Gallery of NSW, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.[7]

Mundine is known in the Aboriginal community for his work and beliefs. As an author, Mundine is able to express his beliefs about art and stay relevant. Mundine often uses his pieces of writing as a means to look deeper into art, past its mediums and origins.[25]

Between 2005 and 2006 Mundine was a research professor at the National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku) in Osaka, Japan.[8]

In October 2023, ahead of the 2023 Australian referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, Mundine spoke in support of the Yes vote on SBS Television discussion programme Insight. He had not discussed this opinion with his brother Nyunggai Warren Mundine, who is one of the leaders of the No campaign.[3]

Honours and awards

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Other roles

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Writings

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Exhibitions

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Year Exhibition (as curator) Co-Creators Artists Gallery Festival Location Description
2022 The Dingo Project Daniel Boyd, Michael Cook, Judith Crispin, Karla Dickens, Blak Douglas, Michael Eather, Fiona Foley, Maddison Gibbs, Julie Gough, Aroha Groves, Fiona Hall, Warwick Keen, Gartha Lena, Trish Levett, John William Lindt, Johnny Malibirr, Teena Mccarthy, Talullah Mccord, Danie Mellor, Djon Mundine OAM FAHA, James Neagle, Lin Onus, George Pascoe jnr, Jenny Sages, Peter Swan, Jason Wing Ngununggula Bowral, NSW The Dingo Project will investigate the spiritual mythology and the historical narratives of ancestral dingoes. Furthermore, it addresses questions of familial and national forgiveness and Aboriginal connections to country and nature.[34]
2020 Three Visions of the Garingal Karla Dickens, Jason Wing, Blak Douglas Mosman Art Gallery Sydney Festival Sydney, NSW
2019 Who Are These Strangers and Where Are They Going Fiona Foley Ballarat International Foto Biennal Ballarat, Victoria A photographic series, large-scale installations, and the Sydney debut of a new musical soundscape based on the oldest known Aboriginal song, documenting the first exchange between Captain Cook in 1770 by the Batjala people of K'gari. Also presented by the National Art School in January 2020.[citation needed]
2017 Living in Their Times Daniel Boyd, Jason Wing, Peter McKenzie, Leanne Tobin, Amala Groom, BLAK Douglas, Leah Flanagan, Sandy Woods, Chantelle Woods, Caroline Oakley, Bjorn Stewart, Karla Dickens, and Warwick Keen[35] Mosman Art Gallery Sydney An exhibition that reflected on the lineage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination and activism before and after the 1967 referendum. Included a restaging of Bungaree's Farm, an immersive three-channel video installation reflecting on the life of Bungaree; first staged at Mosman Art Gallery in 2015.[35]
2015 Bungaree's Farm Daniel Boyd, Blak Douglas, Karla Dickens, Leah Flanagan, Amala Groom, Warwick Keen, Peter McKenzie, Djon Mundine OAM, Caroline Oakley, Bjorn Stewart, Leanne Tobin, Jason Wing, Chantal Woods and Sandy Woods. Mosman Art Gallery Sydney, NSW Contemporary Aboriginal audio, video, performance, and installation art surrounding the legacy of Bungaree; commissioned in 2015 to mark the 200th anniversary of the establishment of Bungaree's Farm by Governor Macquarie on 31 January 1815[36]
2012 Shadowlife Natalie King Vernon Ah Kee, Bindi Cole, Brenda L. Croft, Destiny Deacon/Virginia Fraser, Fiona Foley, Gary Lee, Michael Riley, Ivan Sen, Christian Thompson Bangkok Arts and Cultural Center Bangkok, Thailand Toured around Asia, starting in Bangkok; curated by Mundine and Natalie King, with works from nine Indigenous and one non-Indigenous Australian artists.
2012 Ghost Citizens: witnessing the intervention[37] Alison Alder, Bindi Cole, Fiona Foley, Dan Jones, Fiona MacDonald, Chips Mackinolty, Sally M. Mulda The Cross Art Projects Wollongong, NSW "In a continent full of the ghosts and shadows of colonialism, the historical, social, and physical landscape is pitted. Each story is a ghost story loaded with shadows – a kind of 'scar' story." (Djon Mundine)[37]

Boards, committees and associations

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Year Role Board, Committee or Association Location Description
2020 Member Biennale of Contemporary Art, Festival of Pacific Arts Noumea, New Caledonia
1985-2000 Member - Visual Arts AIATSIS Research Ethics Committee Canberra
1998 Executive Member Australian Indigenous Cultural Network Canberra The Australian Indigenous Cultural Network (AICN) was an initiative initially funded independently in 1998 by Richard Pratt, through the Australian Foundation for Culture and the Humanities. It became an incorporated association in 2001, and was jointly supported by the Australia Business Arts Foundation and AIATSIS. Patrick Dodson was chair at that point.[38] It was wound up in 2003.[39]
1991-98 Executive Member National Indigenous Arts Association (NIAAA) East Sydney NSW NIAAA, previously Aboriginal Arts Management Agency (A.A.M.A) was a national Indigenous arts and cultural service and advocacy association which advocated for the continued and increased recognition and protection of the rights of Indigenous artists.[40] It was "virtually defunct" by December 2002, and lost its funding.[41]
1996      Member of the Indigenous Reference Group Intellectual Property Protection for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Canberra A Commonwealth inter-departmental committee
1996 Expert Examiner National Cultural Heritage Committee Canberra A committee established by the Department of Communication and the Arts under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986
1992, 95-96 Committee Member ATSIC Cultural Industry Advisory Committee (CIAC) Canberra A committee established by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee (ASIC) to develop and manage the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Industry Strategy
1987 Founding and Executive Member Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Land Australian Aboriginal Artists (ANKA) Darwin, NT Arnhem, Northern and Kimberley Artists (ANKA), the peak support and advocacy body for Aboriginal artists and Aboriginal-owned community art centres spread across over one million square kilometres of country in the Top End of the Northern Territory and Western Australia
1989 Member Australia Council - Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Arts Committee Canberra
1985-87 Director Aboriginal Arts Australia

References

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  1. ^ a b c Mundine, Djon (March 2009). "Profile: Djon Mundine" (PDF). Australian Aboriginal Art (Interview). Interviewed by King, Natalie.
  2. ^ a b Feneley, Rick (10 November 2012). "Art's man of reckoning". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  3. ^ a b "'I love all my family': why Djon Mundine is voting differently to his brother Warren". SBS News. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Djon Mundine OAM, b. 1951". National Portrait Gallery people. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Djon, 1990 (printed 2013) [by] Michael Riley". National Portrait Gallery. 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Djon Mundine OAM".
  7. ^ a b c d 2020 Red Ochre Award, Australia Council
  8. ^ a b c "Philip Gudthaykudthay - The Pussycat and the Kangaroo, curated by Djon Mundine OAM in association with Bula'bula Arts Aboriginal Corporation, Ramingining, at The Commercial, Sydney 27 Aug 2023-27 Aug 2023". The Commercial. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  9. ^ Hardy, Karen. "Iconic project a call to reflect". Canberra Times, p. 10, 12 out. 2018.
  10. ^ Hickie, M. (2013). "Commentary on The Aboriginal Memorial 1987–88". Academic Medicine, 88 (12), 1897. doi:10.1097/01.ACM.0000437634.98230.73
  11. ^ Tyerabowbarwarryaou — I Shall never Become a Whiteman
  12. ^ MCA Aboriginal Art: The Arnott's Collection
  13. ^ The Native Born
  14. ^ "Djon Mundine :: biography at :: at Design and Art Australia Online". www.daao.org.au. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  15. ^ They are Meditating: Bark Paintings from the Museum of Contemporary Art's Arnott Collection
  16. ^ "The Native Born: Objects and Representations from Ramingining, Arnhem Land | Exhibitions | MCA Australia".
  17. ^ "Etched in the sun : prints made by indigenous artists in collaboration with Basil Hall; printers, 1997-2007 - [catalogue entry]". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  18. ^ "Ngadhu, ngulili, ngeaninyagu : A personal history of Aboriginal art in the premier state - Catalogue | National Library of Australia".
  19. ^ The Australia Council’s Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement
  20. ^ "Cementa Artist | Djon Mundine".
  21. ^ "Djon Mundine – Southern Tablelands Arts".
  22. ^ "Art for our sake: Djon Mundine in conversation". 12 May 2023.
  23. ^ "Entry Pavilion Commission | Djon Mundine Oam Faha".
  24. ^ "Djon Mundine". Djon Mundine. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  25. ^ "Yes, there is such a thing as bad Aboriginal art". The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 14, 2001.
  26. ^ "Djon Mundine - OAM". Australian Honours. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 13 June 1993. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  27. ^ "Djon Mundine". Cementa Festival Site Artists. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  28. ^ Museums and Galleries National Awards 2015
  29. ^ "Award Announcement: The Inaugural Recipient of the Power Publications Award for Indigenous Art Writing". Power Publications. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  30. ^ Artlink Issue 35:1 | March 2015
  31. ^ a b & Wood Mallesons Contemporary First Nation Art Prize[permanent dead link]
  32. ^ Woollahra Small Sculpture Award
  33. ^ "Twined: weaving and abstraction, Djon Mundine — 23 July 2010 - The Cross Art Projects". www.crossart.com.au. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  34. ^ "Dingo Project | Curated by Djon Mundine OAM". ngununggula.com. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  35. ^ a b "Living in Their Times". Art Almanac. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  36. ^ "Djon Mundine - General 1". Djon Mundine. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  37. ^ a b "Ghost Citizens: Witnessing the Intervention. Curators Djon Mundine and Jo Holder — 21 June to 21 July 2012 - The Cross Art Projects". crossart.com.au. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  38. ^ "Australian Indigenous Cultural Network (AICN)". Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  39. ^ [1], Native Title Newsletter No.4/2004]
  40. ^ NIAAA
  41. ^ "Aboriginal seal of approval loses its seal of approval". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 December 2002. Retrieved 27 August 2023.

Further reading

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