Vincent Namatjira by Vincent Namatjira and Bruce Johnson McLean
‘Welcome to the past, present and future. I stand side-by-side with my great-grandfather, who I never met – two painters from the centre of this country, standing up and making our voices heard. I believe in the power of art, the power of the paintbrush. I know that art can change lives. It changed mine and I hope that art can change the world too.’
Vincent Namatjira is an astute observer of life, of power, of popular culture. To be in the presence of a Vincent Namatjira painting is like being on the edge of a portal into another world.
From the first page of this monograph, Vincent takes us on a journey through his artwork, contextualising his iconic series on Indigenous soldiers, Indigenous leaders, power and the Royal Family, giving us an insight into his world view.
The book includes essays by Lisa Slade, Nici Cumpston and Gloria Strzelecki from AGSA, by Bruce Johnson McLean from NGA and by Vincent’s great friends and artistic collaborators Ben Quilty and Tony Albert but, most importantly, it is Vincent’s voice as much as his artwork that resonates in high definition on the page.
