MAREE CLARKE IN ’65,OOO YEARS: A SHORT HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN ART’

Congratulations to Maree Clarke for her inclusion in the Potter Museum of Art’s current show 65,OOO years: A Short History of Australian Art.

65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art celebrates the brilliance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art while confronting the dark heart of Australia’s colonial history and proclaims the importance of Indigenous knowledge and agency. The exhibition features more than 400 works, including rarely-seen artworks and cultural objects from the University of Melbourne’s collections, 194 important loans from 78 private and public lenders and six new commissions.

Complementing the exhibition are important educational resources for primary, secondary as well as tertiary students, designed to build a deeper understanding of Indigenous art, history and culture. These educational resources will continue to be available beyond the life of the exhibition. They are developed in partnership with the University of Melbourne’s signature Ngarrngga Project, which builds innovative curriculum resources in collaboration with Indigenous Knowledge Experts.

Curated by Associate Provost and Distinguished Professor Marcia Langton AO, Senior Curator Judith Ryan AM, and Associate Curator Shanysa McConville – in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and custodians of art traditions – the exhibition explores the belated recognition of Indigenous art and its rise to prominence globally.

Image: Maree Clarke, Thung-ung Coorang (Kangaroo Teeth Necklace), 2O13, kangaroo leather, sinew, earth pigment, 8 x 13O cm (irreg). Image courtesy of Monash University Museum of Art.