Cooks Voyage of Dishonesty
Date2020
Object number00055890
NameFlag
MediumVelvet, bleached cotton
DimensionsOverall: 3160 × 856 mm
Copyright@ Clinton Naina
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection
DescriptionPainted flag titled 'Cooks Voyage of Dishonesty' by Clinton Naina.History'Cooks Voyage of Dishonesty' was produced by Clinton Naina for the 'Undercurrents – Cook 2020' exhibition presented by Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. It was a specific exhibition giving an Indigenous voice to the year 2020 which marked 250 years since Captain Cook arried on the east coast of Australia. This exhibition addressed the imbalance of (written) colonial history versus First Peoples' (oral) history, through a collection of works of mixed mediums. Artists surveyed the impact of Cook and what he represents to First Peoples' of Queensland. 'Undercurrents' was seen as a platform for truth telling, from an individual, family, community or First Peoples world view.
As an abstract painter, Clinton Nain uses domestic materials as his medium, such as heritage coloured house paint, bitumen paint and domestic household bleach (white king). He also uses reference from the dominant culture and its symbols that symbolise language, religion, land, country, targeted, crown and colonisation of the dispossessed.
Significance
