by Rod Moss
AND DARK WAS THE NIGHT
2009
100CMX142CM
COLLECTION OF THE ARTIST
Andrei Tarkovsky’s film Nostalgia (1982) inspired this work. Here, Lawrence Hayes stands behind his son-in-law, Syd Impu. Perhaps he is in awe of the preternatural light; perhaps he is protecting his daughter, Shirleen, and grandson, Tyrone, and son, Harry. Tarkovsky’s film has a pivotal scene with the central character, candle in hand, wading several times across St Catherines Pool while attempting to preserve the flame from being extinguished. It is a depiction of an internal test of faith and psychic endurance in the face of formidable pressures. It is a conjunction of turning events and assembling elements of factual local life into cinematic ceremonial moment.
INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS
2009
93CMX123CM
COLLECTION OF ADAM KNIGHT, MELBOURNE
At first glance this is a simple role inversion with Arrernte elder Patrick Hayes counselling Dr Freud (Dr Howard Goldenberg) to ‘talk about creation stories’, as per the inscription scrawled over the painting on the right. The outside desert is funnelled into the Viennese study via the coolamon on the left. The room houses examples of Freud’s renowned collection, now, however, with Australian artefacts. The morphing of cultures is suggestively transacted, and possessing the driving seat gives Patrick a glint of satisfaction.
RELATED READING
Allen, Linda, Batty, Philip & Morton, John – The Photos of Baldwin Spencer, The Miegunyah Press, Melbourne, 2007
Alexander, Christopher – The Phenomena of Life The Nature of Order, Centre for Environmental Structure, California, 2003
Gillen, Frank (edited by John Mulvaney) – My Dear Spencer, Hyland House, South Melbourne, 1997
Goldenberg, Howard – Raft, Hybrid, Melbourne, 2009
Henderson, John & Dobson, Veronica – Eastern & Central Arrernte to English Dictionary, IAD Press, Alice Springs, 1994
Hill, Barry – Broken Song: TGHS Strehlow & Aboriginal Possession, Random House, Sydney, 2002
Johannsen, Kurt – A Son of ‘The Red Centre’, self-published, Morphetville, 1992
Kimber, Richard – Man from Arltunga, Hesperian Press, Victoria Park, 1986
Latz, Peter – Bushfires & Bushtucker, IAD Press, Alice Springs, 1995
McLeod, Don – How the West Was Lost, self-published, Port Hedland, 1984
Mulvaney, John – The Aboriginal Photos of Baldwin Spencer, Viking, Melbourne, 1982
Schjeldahl, Peter – The Hydrogen Jukebox, University of California, Berkeley, 1991
Spencer, Baldwin & Gillen, Frank – Across Australia, McMillan & Co, London, 1912
Strehlow, Theodore – Aranda Traditions, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1968
Strehlow, Theodore – Journey to Horseshoe Bend, Rigby, Adelaide, 1978
Strehlow, Theodore – Songs of Central Australia, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1971
Wallace, Kathleen & Lovell, Judy – Listen Deeply: Let these Stories in, IAD Press, Alice Springs, 2009
Wilcox, Michael – Blue & Yellow Don’t Make Green, Artways, Perth, 1987
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Non-Aboriginal friends also helped me by listening to or reading various drafts of this book. Bill and Annie Davis, Peter Latz, Simon Leadbeater, Tony Lintermans, Alan Murn, John A Scott, Dave Richards and Ilan Warchivker were attentive readers and gave subsequent encouragement. Maxine Addinsal, Marlene Niland and Liz Wauchope helped with formatting the early drafts.
I’d been making paintings about this experience for twelve years before the writing was thought of. I am grateful for the interest in these paintings shown by Rex Butler, Michael Eather, Kieran Finnane, Alison French, Howard Goldenberg, Barry Hill, Adam Knight, Mary Alice Lee, John Morton, Deanne Murray, Gwynn Narraway, Anna Pappas, Tim Rowse, Craig San Roque, Carolynne Skinner and Terry Smith.
Most importantly, thanks to Lareena Groves for support throughout the shaping of the material. Her computer expertise and meticulous reading were crucial to the text’s rhythm and timing. These words only graze the surface of my gratitude.
As we rounded into the straight, Margaret O’Sullivan gave unstinted support, as did Alexandra Payne at UQP. And on that final lap, the perspicacious Janet Hutchinson should be thanked too for her rejigging of the manuscript.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rod Moss grew up in Melbourne, moving to Alice Springs in 1984. The burnished colours of Central Australia and its Indigenous culture have informed his art ever since. His paintings are in public collections and have been exhibited in all Australian states as well as overseas. His relationship with the Indigenous community is based on decades of friendship and trust, and he has written about the community with their permission and participation. His writing has appeared in Arena Magazine, Periphery and Overland, among other literary publications. He has two daughters and a son.
First published 2010 by University of Queensland Press
PO Box 6042, St Lucia, Queensland 4067 Australia
www.uqp.com.au
© 2010 Rod Moss
This book is copyright. Except for private study, research, criticism or reviews, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. Enquiries should be made to the publisher.
Ebook produced by Read How You Want
Typeset by Post Pre-press Group, Brisbane
Cover design: Sandy Cull, gogoGingko
Author photograph: Ronja Moss
Cataloguing-in-Publication Data available from the National Library of Australia
The hard light of day: an artist’s story of friendships in Arrernte country / Rod Moss
ISBN (pbk) 978 0 7022 3774 4
ISBN (pdf) 978 0 7022 3796 6
ISBN (epub) 978 0 7022 4623 4
ISBN (kindle) 978 0 7022 4622 7
Please be aware that this book contains the images and names of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who may have passed away. The author has included the photographs with permission from the participants and/or their families.