Shannon Brett
An Australian Landscape, 2024

pigment print on cotton photo rag, golden ornate colonial frame

Collection: Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

WINNER: Telstra Work on Paper Award, 2024 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards

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​For many years I have worked in collaboration with fellow First Nations artists in many parts of Far North Queensland. Throughout this time, I have facilitated numerous projects, predominantly focusing on painting and printmaking techniques to fulfil successful outcomes for exhibitions, performances, installations, workshops, and community exchanges. Additionally, as a photographic artist, I document each part of our art making process.
In April of 2023, one month before I was due to drive my car on a 4-day journey north for this work, I received a phone call from my doctor, who confirmed that I had a serious form of cancer. I had not known at the time that my treatment was going to be extremely severe and entirely consuming of my body and mind.
After 2 weeks of deep thinking about this terrifying cancer diagnoses, I decided to continue my ‘work’ plan and to drive north, for possibly one last adventure with my beloved friends as artist collaborators - who had invited me time and time again into their magnificent community.
Alone, I drove, and I cried, and cried, and cried.
In the final few hours before arriving at my destination, I drove upon a mountain range that I have previously travelled upon, maybe 100 times. I have a favourite spot on this range where I always stop. From this position I can see many communities like kingdoms, as untouched unspoiled Country, it’s a place where I can breathe… it means something special to me.
This time, as I approached, I could see brightly coloured fluorescent graffiti in the exact location where I usually park my car. I drove slowly, reading and observing this checkpoint; tainted, damaged, assaulted.
I kept driving, I cried, this time not for me but for what we as a people deal with almost every single day of our lives upon our own homelands. Repulsed, I pondered that even here upon this most sacred place of such significance and beauty, racism had still found its way. I drove for about 4 kilometres, climbing the range, consumed with sadness. And suddenly, something inside of me – perhaps strength from my ancestors – told me to turn around. I turned back to confront this most outrageous scene and I photographed it. Through this artwork, I want to reframe the way that we receive racism, I want those, who do these cruel things, to see the pain in themselves, to learn that this is not the way. I want to share with them that my message is one of respect for all First Nations people, to show everyone that we are still here living on our own sovereign lands as the true leaders of this place, as we always will be.
 

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