LABEL: 2005.194 MELLOR
By Peter McKay
February 2017
In the drawing Whether you like it or not, Danie Mellor uses the image of an antique traveling trunk to signify the displacement of Aboriginal people and the circumstances under which they travelled. Many Aboriginal people living on traditional lands were forced onto reserves or settlements far away from their country. Once on the reserves, their movements were heavily restricted. Mellor reflects on this history as an Aboriginal man who has travelled the world yet had minimal contact with his own people.
Under the antique trunk, a sketch of a mountain range shows the artist's homeland around the Atherton Tablelands. Next to it are the words ‘Paradise’ and ‘Liberation’, which were the names of two deluxe-model campervans Mellor once saw promoted on late-night television, advertised as ways to escape the confines of daily life and travel the country.
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Whether you like it or not 2005
- MELLOR, Danie - Creator
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