Landscapes, colours and shapes
Apolline Koben
This exhibition is neither an attempt at presenting the different styles of contemporary Aboriginal art or a
geographical survey of Aboriginal artistic espressions. This sclection of works is the result of several trips and
many encounters. Luc Berthier through these paintings, prints and bark paintings makes us discover the artists that
have inspired his passion for this unique and powerful contemporary art movement
Photographs of Australian landscapes published in the National Geographic in the seventies triggered Berthier's
interest and curiosity to travel to Australia to experience its natural environment and most its inhabitants During
his numerous Australian journeys, Berthier has learned a lot and discovered the diversity of contemporary Aboriginal
art. Travelling thousands of kilometres, he has visited many regions, including remote arcas in the Top End and
Central Australia but also capital cities such as Melbourne and Sydney He also had the privilege and joy to meet
some of the most renowned Indigenous artists John Mawurndjul, Freddy Timms and Jean Baptiste Aputuami
What is left of these encounters and journeys throughout Australia are the artworks presented in this exibition
Ferthier's selection is based on personal aesthetic taste and has drawn together works by prominent Indigenous
artists
The challenge of such an exhibition is to avoid producing a sterile inventory of all the different rogional styles
lt would be unrealistic and unfair to pretend that one single exhibition could cover the complexity and richness of
contemporary Indigenous artistic creativity. However, this show presents an impressive number of artists from
different backgrounds
These artists may have different language, artistic and cultural traditions, live in various parts of Australia but they
all bave in common strong knowledge and deep connections to their ancestral lands The Landscapes and ……
