Tina, Dolly, Cher, Diana
&
Kaylene
The 2018 Sulman Prize winner and the 2019 winner for general painting at the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, artist Kaylene Whiskey, mixes the bright lights of Hollywood with the heart of her Indulkana community in vibrant paintings that celebrate the warmth and joy of living on Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands.
Image credit: Kaylene Whiskey, Coober Party, 2019, acrylic on linen, 122 x 91 cm. Courtesy the artist and Iwantja Arts, Indulkana and Artspace, Sydney
The opening bars of Dolly Parton’s song ‘9 to 5’ are instantly recognisable. The urgent repetition of the piano seems to beat along with your heart – you feel prepared, ready to get on with your day with a little skip in your step. A rebellious jab at the status quo, served with a southern drawl and grace. Kaylene Whiskey’s paintings are imbued with this same excitable energy, unsurprisingly given Dolly is a big influence.
Senior Curator South Eastern Aboriginal Collections and Yorta Yorta woman Kimberley Moulton describes what a connection to place can mean to Indigenous people. She notes, when writing about artist Djambawa Marawili AM, that “Indigenous people have a birthright and inherent belonging to the land” and that when connecting with Indigenous practices we, as viewer, are given the chance to reflect on our “positionality within space and the landscape – whose Country are you on at this moment?”1 It is important to reflect on our own sense of place, as settlers, on this land that we call home in order to understand the way in which Whiskey is sharing a piece of her own Country with us. Whiskey’s work carries with it generations of those who came before her, and those who will continue on after.
In an email exchange, I ask Whiskey to tell me more about her country. “My community is Indulkana, on the APY Lands in South Australia. I grew up here and Indulkana will always be my home,” she comments. “I’m proud of this place...Subscribe to read this article in full
