At the Nevada Museum of Art, the exhibition We Were Lost in Our Country showcases contemporary Indigenous Australian paintings, with a central focus on a film of the same name. The film, directed by Vietnamese artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen, documents the creation of the “Ngurrara Canvas II” (1997), a monumental painting measuring roughly 260 by 30 feet. This vivid piece serves as a symbolic map of Aboriginal land, representing the territory of four distinct language groups. Over a period of two weeks, 44 artists collectively crafted this masterpiece by standing, sitting, and walking across the canvas, infusing it with both cultural memory and cartographic significance.
The “Ngurrara Canvas II” holds more than artistic value; it played a crucial role in the legal battle for Aboriginal land rights. The painting was used as evidence in the National Native Title Tribunal to support Indigenous Australians’ claims to land that had been wrongfully taken by the Australian government under the colonial doctrine of terra nullius—a term meaning “land belonging to no one.” Since 1992, Australia has recognized “native title,” which acknowledges land rights based on the continuous observance of traditional laws and customs by Indigenous groups.
When the Ngurrara Canvas II was presented to the tribunal, it served as a poignant map of displacement. After a decade of negotiations, the painting helped define the territory that was ultimately returned to Indigenous control, marking a significant victory in the fight for land reclamation.
The exhibition also features additional paintings that surround the film projection, some created by the artists who contributed to the Ngurrara Canvas II and others from different Aboriginal communities in and around the Great Sandy Desert. These communities, supported by Art Centers such as Balgo, Warmun, Bidyadanga, and Kununurra, work to sustain and promote Aboriginal art. The collection of paintings in the exhibition creates an environment rich with color and vitality.
Much like the Ngurrara Canvas II, many of these artworks function as maps, depicting the relationships between waterholes and navigational landmarks. The use of color fields, curved lines, and recurring shapes forms visually harmonious constellations that challenge the notion of the desert as “empty space.” A significant number of these paintings utilize the “dot painting” technique, similar to pointillism, where small dots of paint are applied to the canvas to create outlines, shapes, or color fields. Viewed up close, the individual dots reveal a cellular or atomic level of detail, with the colors emitting a subtle, almost vibratory hum.
This exhibition not only showcases the artistic prowess of Indigenous Australian painters but also highlights the profound connection between art, identity, and the ongoing struggle for land rights.
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