Deadly Depictions of the Dreamtime – Trevor ‘Turbo’ Brown
Image: 'Two Wombats' by Trevor 'Turbo' Brown. Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Kate Owen Gallery
Trevor ‘Turbo’ Brown’s Deadly Depictions of the Dreamtime reflects his experiences as an Aboriginal man with an intellectual disability whose youth was scarred by substance abuse and social dislocation. As a homeless teenager his closest companions were animals and this exhibition is dominated by images of native fauna.
In Nine Black Galahs, the eponymous birds raise their wings in homage to the sun with the shuffle of their feathers reverberating from the walls as they celebrate life. In Owl, the featured creature stares directly at the viewer with a simple, sincere, yet melancholy gaze.
These paintings are bold, bright and colourful and ooze a warmth and depth of feeling seldom captured on canvas. The pieces combine traditional Indigenous techniques with a sensibility which evokes modern animation and they delight with their naivety and dynamism.
The show resounds with vibrancy and vitality, and is a demonstration of the emotive power of creative endeavour. (LR)
Until May 30, Kate Owen Gallery, 680 Darling St, Rozelle, free, kateowengallery.com
