An exhibition of the moving image, including stop-motion, 3D and other animation techniques, Big Eye showcases Aboriginal animations from Australia and Canada in a unique cross-tribal exchange of ideas and world views.

Aboriginal Australian screen artists use digital storytelling techniques to bring cultural knowledge and contemporary exploration of country to the fore, with an original and distinctive voice.

Big Eye builds on its 2008 debut screening at 24HR Art (Northern Territory Centre for Contemporary Art, Darwin) featuring prominent Aboriginal Australian artists to now include works by Aboriginal Canadian Animators and Artists.

Star Aboriginal Canadian artist Skawennati Tricia Fragnito’s new media practice uniquely centres on creating projects specifically for the internet, which she believes is ‘an extraordinary art delivery system’. Skawennati’s work responds to cultural misconceptions and generalisations about gender and race.

“First World” countries Australia and Canada are two of very few countries in the world who recognise their first people as Aboriginal. Philosophically, this exhibition explores a shared heritage by Aboriginal Canadians and Aboriginal Australians through the intersection of Aboriginal Aesthetics and Culture, with the endurance of a similar colonisation as a background.

Featuring Dark Thunder Productions, Raven Tales, Skawennati Tricia Fragnito & Abtech, Rabbit and Bear Foot, The Healthy Aboriginal Project and Anthony Wong, Frank Mcleod & Aboriginal Nations, Aroha Groves, Christine Peacock & Rebekah Pitt & John Graham, the Gunbalanya Community & Gozer Media, and artist/curator Jenny Fraser.

The exhibition opens at QUT Creative Industries Precint ‘the Block’ at Musk Ave, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, Australia – Tuesday April 28th, 2009 – 6 for 6.30pm

Opening hours Tuesday & Wednesday 2pm – 6.30pm, Thursday & Friday 2pm – 8pm,
Saturday 4pm – 8pm

Showing until May 16th 2009.

* also with a drop-in Animation Lab by appointment

Exhibition Design by Lubi Thomas.

How to get there: http://www.ciprecinct.qut.com/whatshappening/howtogethere.jsp

Raven Tales: http://www.raventales.ca

Aboriginal Nations http://www.thedreamingstories.com.au & http://www.ablnat.com

Dreamtime Animations http://www.dreamtimeanimations.com

Skawennati: http://www.skawennati.com

Dreamtime Animations http://www.thedreamingstories.com.au

QUT http://www.ciprecinct.qut.com/shows/details.jsp?news-event-id=23115

cyberTribe http://www.geocities.com/cybertribeoz

and yes,
we went to Noumea!

with the others : the touring exhibition of the other APT held at the Tjibaou Cultural Centre in New Caledonia

read a review of the show by Matt Poll:

http://mathewpoll.blogspot.com/2008/12/fight-power.html

and a news story featured in the Koori Mail:

http://www.geocities.com/dot_ayu/writing4.htm

or see some of the install photos here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=56568&id=551291075&l=e36e8

happy 2009!

jenny fraser
http://www.geocities.com/dot_ayu/index.htm

The NATV Presidential coverage, from the Campaign to the Parade will be on the air within the next two weeks on Verizon’s on Demand Channel.

Check your local listings for dates and times.

NATV would like to thank “Injunuity” for their talents and music that is featured in the finished piece.

You can find out more about the band at www.injunuity.net and www.myspace.com/injunuity

Feel free to contact me to discuss NATV and how you can contribute to our community media voice with your tax deductible donation.

Note:  NATV is now also on Facebook and Twitter

www.facebook.com/pages/NATV-Native-American-Television/51629342901
www.twitter.com/natvonline

Baz Luhrmann deserves to be sucker-punched for making this commercial. Does he have any sense at all? That is a rhetorical question … plus anyone who has seen Australia knows he doesn’t. Actually, this commercial is part of a series of ads made for Australia’s Tourist Board. I’m sure whoever heads up the Aussie Tourist board had a part in the general direction of these commercials, so he or she deserves to be sucker-punched as well. You’re not alone, Bazzie. Taken from Australia.com:

“Sometimes we need to lose ourselves to find what matters most. Australia’s Aboriginal people know as much, going ‘walkabout’ to reconnect with the land and their traditional way of life. For most of us, ‘walkabout’ takes the form of a holiday – a time to re-balance and refresh. It lets us find ourselves when the pressures of daily life have made us lose touch.”

It goes on to say that while most of us have our ‘Walkabouts’ at the Four Seasons in Sydney, Aboriginals have to stick with the bush because it is cheaper. Hey, at least they’re keeping it real, right? I’m totally kidding! Ha! Australia would never admit to anything negative involving Aboriginals. The website actually goes on to describe all the great stuff there is to do in Oz – such as snorkel, go dirt-biking and look for Hugh Jackman. Oh, and listen to the “deep throb of the didgeridoo.” But maybe they were still talking about Hugh Jackman there.

There is not much of a point to this blog. I mainly wanted to say “COME THE FUCK ON AUSTRALIA!” You can pretty much gauge the climate of global awareness on any particular subject according to percentage of comments on a related YouTube page. About 90% of comments on the above video’s page went something like this, “This commercial is memorizing and beautiful. I tear up every time. Crazy!” About 5%: “This commercial is super creepy! I’m never going there!” About 3%: “I’m an Aussie and this ad is bloody shithouse!” And then of course the 1 or 2% shaming the irresponsible portrayal of the Australian Aboriginal as a proverb-whispering, loin-cloth sporting medicine manchild, sprinkling healing sand on your relationship problems and tracking mud through your living room.

“Bloody shithouse” is right.