Haunted Landscapes Symposium

Haunted Landscapes: Presences in the art of Albert Namatjira & Rex Battarbee

A public symposium presented by the Writing & Society Research Centre. Convened by Martin Edmond.

In 1979 art historian Daniel Thomas described a Namatjira watercolour as an ‘anguished symbol of mutilation: stumps of black arms emerging from a white-bandaged quasi-human tree.’ Some later writers have acknowledged this as an aspect of Namatjira’s work, while others doubt there is any real evidence of anthropomorphism in his painting or in that of his mentor, Rex Battarbee.

Did Namatjira encode human and animal imagery, some of it traditional, into his pictures? Was this habit characteristic of Battarbee’s practice? When we look at these paintings are we seeing simple representations or complex hauntings? Or both?

These and other questions will be addressed by a diverse, interdisciplinary group of people.

Afternoon tea will be provided.

RSVP: Melinda Jewell m.jewell@uws.edu.au