Aboriginal artist Reko Rennie recently painted a wall in lodhi Colony in the hues of his graffiti-inspired shades and blended in his community’s traditional geometric patterns. He speaks to Rupinder Kaur about the art crossover
To enhance creativity and achieve mental balance, one would often turn to recommended methodologies where you might be required to be seated in a meditative position or escape to a picturesque location which would guarantee an almost nirvana-like experience. It doesn’t take much time for ennui to take over and thus, more techniques come into existence and the gullibility in us takes us on a different journey.
Art, on the other hand, has healed. Undeniably, there have been moments where you would pause to appreciate a work of art even in the unlikeliest of places. The colours beguile and the patterns intrigue. Art is meant to be within your reach and not just confined within the sophisticated structure of a museum. Our sentiments echoed with Aboriginal artist Reko Rennie saying, “It is very important for it to be out in public domain. It’s all very well to have it in an institution and be collected but then, not everyone gets to see it. It’s only for a select clientele and has a bourgeoisie element to it. When it’s out there, it’s free for everyone. You also have more power to give out a message.”
The Melbourne-based indigenous contemporary artist transformed the bland walls of lodhi Colony into a vibrant canvas as part of the St+Art India project. It India’s first public art district. You spot a few men at work in front of a concrete wall splashed in hues of bright pink, black and turquoise blue. The immaculate diamond geometric patterns are Rennie’s Kamilaroi community’s “coat of arms.”
“The motif is a symbolic representation of my community much like one’s surname. I brought something from home with me and leaving a little mark here,” the artist explains.
His idea was to break away from the stereotypical view that Aboriginal art is only about ochres and dot paintings. It was “intentional” to use bright colours and plus, there was the graffiti influence which began in the mid-80s when he got his hands on a book called Subway Art by Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant which documented the graffiti movement in New York since the early 70s to early 80s.
“By mid-80s, when I was about 11 or 12, breakdancing and hip-hop were also getting popular and I was into it. I started using spray paint to make words. later on, I did that illegally for a while and then wanted to explore more aspects of art,” Rennie shares.
He then went back to school to study journalism and entered art shows. “In 2007-08, I won an award and commercial galleries were asking to represent me. I also started looking at my family history and realised that through art, I had a voice and could also raise certain awareness issues. I found it exciting to used the skills I acquired from the streets and sort of blended it with the traditional art.”
Aboriginal art conveys sacred stories of the communities but according to Rennie, who has extensively showcased his work even at prestigious platforms such as the Venice Biennale, people have been only exposed to one portion of aboriginal art.
“It’s like how art is in India. There are so many forms. The dot painting would only represent a couple of communities. In south-east Australia, there are different patterns and styles such as diamonds, cross-hatching, rock paintings and engravings. The problem is that the art is only being perpetuated as one when in reality, it is not. We are diverse,” Rennie tells us.
He, along with other contemporary artists, is on a mission to raise awareness about certain issues related to Aboriginal communities. He calls himself “fortunate” since he can use his art as a voice.
“It’s what our generation is doing because it was our parents’ and grandparents’ generations that were victimised for their identity and were persecuted. Colonialism has had a major impact. A few Government policies of removing children from their families also led to a catastrophic affect on the culture and the community’s placement and disposition,” Rennie expresses, adding there is still a long way to go. “We still need access to health, education and rights, especially rights to land. Graffiti gave me a voice and an opportunity to freedom of expression. We don’t have to worry about being persecuted by the government. It is a powerful time for voice and rights,” he signs off.
photos Sanjeev Kumar