and They Flew from the Airfield at Ngurupai Accession Number: ART94611

Description

This print features a ceremonial headdress with the form of a fighter plane surrounded by minaral. Minaral is a word in the traditional Western Island language of Kala Lagaw Ya referring to design, pattern, or decoration.

This work explores the inclusion of Second World War events into contemporary Torres Strait Islander ceremonies. While Torres Strait Islander headdresses usually depict totemic animals and sea-creatures, during the Second World War a number were constructed of military aircrafts. This came as a response to the RAAF base that was built on Ngurupai/Horn Island in 1941 which made aircraft activity a familiar sight for the surrounding communities. As a response, Torres Strait Islander dancers wore these headdresses and began to incorporate them into performance-related ceremonies. It is known that a specific performance was created to interpret the Japanese air raids that they had witnessed.

Brian Robinson (b. 1973 Waiben/Thursday Island, Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islands, Queensland) Maluyligal/Wuthathi/Dayak peoples is a contemporary artist who works across a range of different mediums including painting, printmaking, sculpture and design. He trained extensively as a visual artist and curator in Queensland in the 1990s and became part of a movement of contemporary Torres Strait Islander artists who adopted printmaking as a new medium for storytelling. Robinson's work is best known for its exploration of his indigenous heritage combining it with his knowledge of western art and cultural traditions.

Details

Conflicts

• Second World War, 1939-1945

Places

• Horn Island

Tags

• Headdress
• Aircraft
• Indigenous peoples
• Kala Lagaw Ya^