His work is described as loud, political, angry, controversial, and in-your-face. But for Gordan Hookey, it's anything but.
His art is a practice of self-improvement, an expression of his ethics. It's an opportunity for the Waanyi man to challenge the wrongs he sees in the world, to push against the mainstream.
"As an artist, all I want to do is try to be the best possible person that I can be. A lot of what I do examines ethics, on how I conduct myself in the environment, the world and people around me," he told NITV.
"The way some of the people in this world have violated our humanity through media, or propaganda, through their operation — I guess the art is me, as an individual, as a Murri, wanting to fix that, even in a small way."
Gordon Hookey's work Terrarists Colonialhism (2008) Source: Supplied / Gordon Hookey
Art as a mirror
Hookey is part of the Brisbane-based Indigenous art collective proppaNOW and has opened a new exhibition, A MURRIALITY, which is a cross-section of his thirty-year career.
While some typecast his work, Hookey denies any labels, saying instead his work is a reflection of reality.
“Often people's reality is just ordered by major misinformation and propaganda. It's all to serve a purpose of perhaps the ruling class, rich people or government. It's all self-serving," said Hookey.
“I just love to get clarity on things so that people can understand the type of injustices that are being done to other people . . . so often, those who have the money, that make those decisions are not held accountable for what they have done.
“We see it with Murdoch, we see it with Donald Trump, Putin is doing horrible things. You see this all through history, men doing horrible things."
Hookey believes it's part of the role of artists, to keep people aware of what's happening, but also to show them how they really feel about it.
"It’s funny when they look at a work and they’ll interpret it based on what they know from their own experiences and then they’ll blame me for their interpretation. I didn’t intend that! It’s their interpretation," he said.
Gordon Hookey is an artists like no other, with bright colours, bold words and big messages. Credit: Rhett Hammerton
“If you are provoked, or you are challenged by it what you see then perhaps the artwork has served its purpose."
A beautiful glimpse at 'the ugly truth'
Hookey's work is a testimony to his imagination, something he says separates him from others and something he's continued to foster since childhood.
"One of the primary things in my practice is that I have to have fun, and I’ve got to feel good. I’ve got to have a laugh. I try to be silly and use a lot of devices like text, lots and lots and lots of words and colour," he said.
“As a little Murri fulla sitting on the floor in grade one I used to love it in the afternoon when the teacher brings out that Dr Zeus book. There’s all that rhythm and bounce, and silliness . . . and I still today try and incorporate that."
While soaked in 'silliness', much of Hookey's work tries to tell a dark history, sharing mostly legacies of colonialism.
"[Silliness] offers a 'foot in the door' for people to connect to the work. It allows them to enter, then the words are like cues to understand what the picture is saying," Hookey said.
A MURRIALITY by Gordon Hookey at UNSW Galleries. Credit: Jacquie Manning
“I’m dealing with the ugly truth, but I’m trying to do it in a beautiful way."
Passing the baton
With almost four decades in the industry, Hookey has no intention of slowing down — his favourite piece of work always being the one that's coming next.
“My work also accumulates on those artists that have gone before, the platform is so massive that I’m building on the work that Albert Namatjira has done, I'm building on contemporary works with Judy Watson. Us contemporaries we are building on the same vision and platform," he said.
“It’s beautiful, I think it’s our obligation as artists. I’m only doing what I’m doing because of artists who have gone before me . . . it’s our human obligation to make things better for those that are coming after us."
Hookey acknowledges the emerging contemporary artists, particularly those who are sharing in his philosophy, and reflecting on their world.
"These young artists, it is kind of empowering, it makes me feel contentment to know, as an older artist, that’s been practising for almost 40years, to see the baton being passed to someone or others that have the same passion, the same drive, the same tenacity o do things ethically — it makes me [proud]," he said.
"It makes the world a better place."
A MURRIALITY is showing now at UNSW Galleries in Sydney, and will travel to Brisbane's Institute of Modern Art in later October.
