Richard Bell is known for his witty and uncompromising paintings that interrogate the reception of First Nations art. In this painting, Bell announces ‘Australian art: It’s an Aboriginal thing’. He places this provocative statement alongside a list of well-known Australian artists, suggesting that appropriating aspects of Indigenous cultures played a significant role in their success.

Bell overlays his bold statement against patterns reminiscent of Central and Western Desert painting to reference its commodification by the art market. Also present are ‘throws’ of black paint that reference North American abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock’s famous ‘drip’ technique, which was itself inspired by Navajo sand painting.

In the work’s central panels, Bell assumes the style of North American Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein to craft a comic strip. Querying the ethics of appropriation between cultures, Bell’s cast of characters attempt to reason with those who have achieved success by using other artists’ work without crediting them.