Laurie Nilsen: ‘Vitality and humour’ on show in final exhibition before artist’s death

Three weeks before his death, indigenous artist Laurie Nilsen was still drawing crowds to see his ‘legendary’ works in what was to be the final exhibition during his lifetime.

Aboriginal artist Laurie Nilsen, 66, passed away on March 6. An exhibition of his work is at Fireworks Gallery, Bowen Hills. Picture: Richard Walker

The art world is this week mourning “legendary” indigenous artist Laurie Nilsen while in a gallery in Bowen Hills his works hang as a reminder of his vitality and humour.

Just three weeks ago, hundreds gathered for the opening of the Laurie Nilsen – One Day At A Time exhibition at Fireworks Gallery, many realising it may the last exhibition of his work in the Brisbane-based artist’s lifetime.

Mr Nilsen, 66, had been fighting cancer and died peacefully on March 6.

He was best known for his award-winning sculptural works using barbed wire and his tribal totem, the emu.

“There’s always artists who’ve got a soft spot for a particular animal, with me it’s emus,” Laurie said before his passing.

Artist Laurie Nilsen poses in front of his award-winning art work titled 'Barbed Wire Emus' in 2007.

“I’ve come across a lot of these skeletons hanging on fences in the bush. An emu will walk up and down a fence trying to get to water. They’ll walk up and down ‘til they drop. Others will try to go through the fence. If I made (the paintings) big enough I could put the reflections in the eyes to tell the different stories or raise issues. I’m using the eye of the emu as a vehicle I suppose.”

Mr Nilsen, the eldest of 13 children, was born in 1953 to a Norwegian father and Mandandanji mother in Roma, southwest Queensland.

He made his way to Brisbane in the 1960s originally as a jockey but after finishing his apprenticeship at the age of 21, his love for art took over.

He went on to complete a three year certificate course in commercial illustration at the Queensland College of Art before graduating in 1989 from the Gippsland Institution in Victoria with a Bachelor in Fine Arts, majoring in sculpture.

Aboriginal artist Laurie Nilsen, 1997.

Fireworks Gallery director Michael Eather announced the passing of his friend: “ … Laurie Nilsen, artist, colleague, mentor and dear friend to so many people, across so many cultures”.

“Laurie created powerful images using combinations of bush knowledge with social history; insightful and witty observations of nature, culture and our environment,” Mr Eather told Brisbane News.

“Just three weeks ago, literally hundreds of community, family and industry gathered for Laurie’s exhibition opening and we all feel fortunate to be able to share with his legendary humour alongside his great artistic talents.”

One Day at a Time a mini-survey showcasing a selection of Laurie’s artworks remains on show until March 21 at Fireworks Gallery, Bowen Hills.

Emu by Laurie Nilsen at the Cairns indigenous Art Fair launch

LAURIE NILSEN – ONE DAY AT A TIME, FIREWORKS GALLERY

Laurie Nilsen is one of our most influential contemporary indigenous artists and a mini-survey of his work is welcome indeed. And it’s so entertaining.

There’s a vitality at work in the exhibition Laurie Nilsen – One Day at a Time, now showing at Fireworks Gallery in Bowen Hills.

Here and there is humour too. And who doesn’t love his emus?

Look at his Running the gauntlet, a bluish emu in pastel and acrylic, and you are looking at the Brisbane-based artist’s totem.

Running the gauntlet by Laurie Nilsen. Image courtesy of Fireworks Gallery and Mick Richards Photography

You’ll notice a line of barbed wire in the background and that’s a reference to his sculptural practice. Nilsen’s emus made of barbed wire are legendary.

“I realised I needed to put the barbed wire into the painting, harking back to the same context as the emu sculptures,” he writes in a small didactic label accompanying the work.

There are a number of emu works among others showcasing the past 20 years.

This exhibition also includes a series of his fish trap works based on the sort of traditional fishing nets often seen in museums.

Dollar Dilemma, Nilsen’s recent series of small works on paper.

There are also works from his Dollar Dilemma (above) series which critiques the Aboriginal flag and issues around its commercialisation and ownership.

I do love his prints too and the elegant Emu Dancers from 2001.

Nilsen is a founding member of the influential Campfire Group and a founding member of the proppaNOW Artists Collective.

Meanwhile, upstairs is a stunning collection of the work of the late Paddy Carroll Tjungurrayi, a Papunya artist whose colourful and striking art explores Aboriginal culture and spirituality.

Muliera men's design by Paddy Carroll Tjungurrayi

This collection comprises 13 artworks including four classic Western Desert-style paintings. Alongside are four major collaborative paintings with Campfire Group artists including Richard Bell, Joanne Currie, Michael Eather (the gallery director) and Laurie Nilsen.

This is a powerful exhibition and the cumulative effect of the work of both artists being shown in the gallery at the same time is impressive and quite moving.

Laurie Nilsen – One Day at a Time; Paddy Carroll Tjungurrayi (PCT) Tribute Collection,

until Mar 21, Fireworks Gallery, Bowen Hills.