Return to Sender review by Sam Rohweder

Return to Sender is one of a series of exhibitions the Queensland Art Museum has planned over the coming three years. The theme for this series is the  investigation of different happenings in Queensland during the second half of the 20^th century.

Return to sender is the first in the series and begins with the volatile period of Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s ultra conservative leadership. Feeling hobbled by bourgeois constraints and lack of support in Queensland many local artists escaped interstate or overseas where they were able to cultivate their practice and be major contributors to Australia’s post modern society.

Predominately a photographic and video presentation it is worth noting that none of the artists participating in this show were actually recognised artists at the time when civil liberties and anti discrimination debates were rife in Queensland (1967-1987). Even though many of these works were created post Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s government they are still an interesting description of the artists work practices and sentiments in Queensland at that time.

“Ice” and “Flame” are the titles of the large direct positive photographs on perspex that catch your attention from the moment you walk into the show. These two works from Robyn Stacey’s “Redline 7000” series fill the wall. The images of theatrically lit heroines could easily be stills from a 1960s cult movie. In 1985 Robyn Stacey saw an investigative report by Chris Masters on the ABC entitled “The Moonlight State” which drew attention to the Police Corruption in Queensland. This series filled with its shady characters, drama and corruption was echoing what she saw happening in Australia’s society, especially in Queensland. Created in 1989 these are astounding works not only for the message that they convey but also for the craftsmanship. These images were carefully hand coloured and remarkably produced without the assistance of digital technology. Robyn Stacey also has three works from her “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” series of which the “Nowhere to go” Photograph, depicting a forlorn man behind bars, was used as the poster image for the exhibition.

Tracey Moffat also has two photographic works in this exhibition; however it is one of her Self Portrait from her infamous “Something More” series that epitomizes what the exhibition is all about. Just like Robyn Stacey’s previously mentioned series Tracey Moffat again draws attention to the darkness and corruption that surround Queensland in the 70’s and 80’s. “Something More #9” stands over a meter high and nearly 1.5 meters wide; the black and white staged image looks like a still from an old Hitchcock movie. Tracey poses as if unconscious or dead her is face turned from the camera with disheveled clothes, suitcase cast aside in the middle of the road.   The sinister image tells a dramatic story 300 miles from Brisbane.

For my money Fiona MacDonald’s seven woven photographs from a series entitled “Universally Respected” stole the show.  a work she began when she returned to her home of Rockhampton in 1993 and started exploring the archives for historical images. This is a wonderfully gentle and poignant work that exposes the ugly veneer of “colonial white Australia” and the historical truth of our multi cultural past by interweaving photographs of Rockhampton’s chronicled community. These works intricately entwine race, gender and station together to create haunting images that appear to morph before your eyes. What makes these compositions even more significant is the fact that they were created at a time before permissions and protocols were set in place that would restrict the use of indigenous images of any artist who wished to emulate Fiona’s work.

These are just a few of the works on display. Jeff Gibson’s “dis Poster” series, his untitled No’s 1-10 and his “Trigger Happy” wallpaper speaks volumes about the political unrest in Queensland at the time. Barbara Campbell’s “Conradiana” Text (Joseph Conrad’s novella “Heart of Darkness”on a scroll of rice paper with accompanying video that will take you on a journey down a river and into the wild jungles of Asia. and Rosemary Laing’s three works  take you in a whole other direction of the colour spectrum. Then there is Lindy Lee’s beautiful experimentations and the skillfully constructed video works by Ross Harley, Mark Titmarsh and Gary Warner will captivate you.

This is an interesting start to the University of Queensland Art Museum’s series that will allow local artists to interpret the political unrest of Queensland in later part of the twentieth century. I for one look forward to the next installment.