Bitter and Sweet

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Description

In what ways do the visual splendor and playful imagery of Aboriginal art intertwine with reverberations of the past and the realities of the present? Will indigenous art-making always be thought of as separate from, perhaps even incompatible with, the Western tradition? This program follows curator Hetti Perkins as she visits and shares experiences with a wide range of Australian artists-such as Ginger Riley of Arnhem Land, known for powerful, richly colorful canvasses, and East Kimberley artist Rusty Peters, appearing here with a piece about the passing on of knowledge. Profiling photographer Mervyn Bishop, who has documented many of the changes in the Aboriginal community, the program also spotlights Richard Bell, winner of the 2003 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award; senior Yolngu elder Gawirrin Gumana, widely celebrated for his Yirrkala church panels; and numerous others.