Mixtures and Ventures

old cultures, new ideas, new cultures, old ideas

At the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. (right) *Ceremony with women taking part*, Bardayal Lofty Nadjamerrek AO, bark painting, c.1970.

These past few weeks have been a blur of meetings, presentations, travel, teaching, and making art. Almost everyone we have met in Australia has a fascinating story to tell of their own inter-cultural and inter-continental lives and travels. Multiple languages are spoken at our children’s public schools, and we are frequently reminded that the United States is not the center of the world.

Rather than identifying as a melting pot, like the U.S., Australia’s multiculturalism is often described as a mosaic. Around 44% of the current population in Australia was either born overseas or has a parent who was born overseas.1 Harmony Day in mid-March, (now Harmony Week) celebrated since 1999 in Australia, celebrates the country’s multicultural diversity as well as the unification of these cultures through the Australian values of freedom, respect, fairness, democracy and equal opportunity.2

At the 2024 Fulbright Gala, with United States Ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy.

Similarly, the Fulbright Australia program embodies these values. In its 75-year history, more than 5,000 Australian and American scholars in every academic field have received awards to study and research through this exchange program.3 In my experience thus far, working within Fulbright Australia's mission involves a conscientious mixture of diplomacy, action, empathy, and insight.

“The mission of Fulbright Australia is to promote education and cultural exchange between Australia and the United States in order to enhance mutual understanding and strengthen relations between the two countries. The Commission facilitates this through the implementation of the Fulbright program and other scholarships and exchanges.”

— 3

Recently, the 2024 American-Australian Fulbright Scholars came together in Canberra for a two-day symposium and gala award ceremony. While meeting and learning about this diverse, talented, and thoughtful group of scholars, who are at multiple career levels, I thought a lot about working in an international context.

While Australia and the United States share many attributes, there are also nuanced differences. One expression that came up again and again at the Fulbright events was ‘tall poppy syndrome,’ which was new to me.

I’ve heard ‘tall poppy syndrome’ illustrated in a few ways; as an advantageous infrastructure for a defense team at war, in the context of success and high achievement, and in comparison to imposter syndrome. All in all, TPS refers to a cultural mindset in which people downplay themselves or others when successes are achieved instead of celebrating or lifting one another up. What may appear to be humility is, in fact, a penalty. A Canadian study in 2023 outlines why ‘tall poppy syndrome’ disproportionately affects women and the organizations they work for in destructive ways.4 5

Margaret Preston, *Fuchsia,* 1928, hand-coloured woodcut, 27 x 26.7 cm. Collection of National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.

Tony Albert, *Conversations with Preston: Christmas Bells*, 2020-2021, paint, fabric, and binder on canvas. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. series

A critique exists between these two artworks. Margaret Preston was a Modernist Australian printmaker and painter who worked to define an Australian style of art. She did this by referencing native plants while appropriating aspects of Aboriginal motifs. Tony Albert is a contemporary Australian artist who examines this problematic history of misappropriation by Preston and others.

Of course, the full conversation between these two artists and their generations contains nuances and complexities beyond a short synopsis. Preston studied art internationally, including in Japan, which was influential in the development of her techniques in the woodcut medium. She further developed her design style through her broad teaching career, and in the 1920-1930’s, Preston was considered the most prominent woman artist in Australia.6 Albert is a politically-minded artist with strong Aboriginal roots in Australia who examines racism and its colonial histories in Australia.7

This context, along with the cultural effects of ‘tall poppy syndrome’ in Australia, gives me pause at the pointedness of Albert’s important critique of Preston’s work. The direct appropriation that informs Albert’s work, which connects to the exploitative aspects but ignores the originality within Preston’s work, seems to be overlooked.

(left) Margaret Preston, (right) Tony Albert

“Ten Thousand Suns challenges Western fatalistic constructions of the apocalypse and embraces a necessary hopeful outlook around a possible future lived in joy, produced in common and shared widely. Under the gaze of Ten Thousand Suns, the 24th Biennale of Sydney stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of collective expression.”

— 8

In addition, at current auction prices, numerous Preston prints can be purchased for the price of one Albert painting in his ‘Conversations with Preston’ series. The 'tall poppy’ being addressed in this dialogue was perhaps never located on the same playing field. What is lost in a ‘cancel culture,’ in which wider, more inclusive conversations that might have occurred are stifled?

An art-oriented way to work through these complexities may well be found within the 24th Biennale of Sydney, “Ten Thousand Suns” currently on view throughout Sydney (9 March–10 June, 2024).

While recently viewing this exhibition across two (of seven) venues, I found the international breadth and detailed, hopeful vision of the collective work invigorating. Here are moments in some of my favorite works from this exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.