Fraser Coast council shows Veiled Paradise at Hervey Bay art gallery during school holidays
A racially charged, sexually explicit exhibition at a publicly owned gallery has Queensland councillors at odds over its divisive potential and appropriateness for a school holidays audience. PHOTOS.
Fraser Coast
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Internationally renowned artist Dr Fiona Foley is no stranger to racially challenging, provocative art but the decision of a local council to display “divisive gutter talk” and time it with the school holidays, has sparked fierce debate.
“Veiled Paradise” by the proud Butchulla (Badtjala) university lecturer is currently on show at the Hervey Bay Regional Art Gallery which state’s Dr Foley is informed by her ancestral connection to K’gari (Fraser Island), “drawing equally upon its serene beauty” and “history of systemic violence and sexual exploitation”.
With those themes in mind, some works in the collection are titled or include the descriptions “Sacred C--- Juice”, “F--- Me Harder” and “White Trash”.
It’s understood the Fraser Coast council has fielded multiple complaints and its own councillors are at odds about the appropriateness, regardless of context, given the exhibition was launched during the school holidays at a gallery it has promoted to “all ages” and because of its potential to be racially divisive.
Asked about this, the council’s official spokesman said while the work was “confronting” and “challenging”, it was “one of the highest quality exhibitions” to be seen in the art gallery for a long time.
They said explicit words were in “small print” and had accompanying panels to provide context.
Addressing concerns of the exhibit being hosted in school holidays in the same gallery where craft workshops and child programs were being held, the spokesman said the council had warned gallery visitors there were two exhibits with explicit language in their titles.
He also said the more “family-friendly” area at the gallery, where children’s activities were being held, was in the main foyer which was separate from where the works were displayed.
Dr Foley was contacted for comment but declined to respond to this publication’s questions.
In a 2020 interview with the Guardian about a piece featuring African American people with Ku Klux Klan style hoods, it was explained Dr Foley wanted to “provoke white audiences into imagining what it would be like to be the object of hatred”.
“It makes many of them uncomfortable”, she told the publication
“I asked myself, what if the tables were turned? I wanted to provoke a conversation about racism.”
Division 2 Councillor Phil Truscott believed the “White Trash” painting was “divisive” and said “I would also point out if the tables were reversed, I would be seen as a racist”.
In a world “trying to smooth over the past wrongs” he said it just “sets us back again”.
“Also, the extremely crude gutter talk is unacceptable,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Paul Truscott said some of the displays at the exhibit were interesting and “thought provoking in a respectful way”, while others were not.
“I imagine the artist’s intention was to create a conversation about the display and it has certainly had that effect,” he said.
“I have visited the display and was given a respectful tour and some understanding of the displays.
“However, it is not a display that I would take my children to see due to the vile nature of some of the displays.
“The content is too heavy for children - in a gallery that should be inclusive to all.”
Mr Truscott said he was not supportive of display items paid for with public funds that caused “division in the community”.
“I do have concerns that some parts of the display may create a divide in some people’s minds, rather than build towards reconciliation,” he said.
He added it was not a criticism of Dr Foley’s work, but noted the timing of the exhibit during school holidays.
Division 5 Councillor Jade Wellings, who viewed the exhibition and enjoyed some of the artwork, said she was “disappointed in the timing” of the exhibition given it was “inappropriate for children”.
“As someone who has three young children myself, I would like to see our publicly owned Art Gallery be a place where children are encouraged and welcomed and parents feel confident to attend and bring their children without worry about what they may see or read, particularly on school holidays,” she said.
“I think this is an important lesson for us at council, and I hope we can do better next time.”
Ms Wellings has raised her concerns with the art gallery director.
In a public Facebook post, Hervey Bay local and gallery regular Lin Harris wrote that after visiting the exhibition she couldn’t say “how angered I feel” about the “Black Velvet and White Trash” works.
“I have Aboriginal blood coursing through my veins and loudly supported a Voice to parliament and equal rights,” she wrote
“If a white person wanted to hang a picture depicting them as black trash the gallery would refuse, it is racist and our council owned gallery should not allow or support it from anyone, black or white.
“So disappointed and sad that our gallery appears to only care about indigenous art now.
“Most of the regular supporters these days are not to be seen. How can we reconcile when it is evident how we are viewed?”
Cr James Hansen said he had not personally seen the display, but believed it would “cause division in our community”
He also said it was inappropriate for children.
Dr Foley was also asked if she was concerned the timing of the display would overshadow her message behind the works but she did not respond.
In a council statement, Cr David Lewis said it was exciting to see work of national significance and intrinsically connected to our region on exhibition.
“Foley’s work addresses contemporary political issues facing Indigenous Australians and is held in the public collections of many Australian state, national and university collections,” he said.
“This work is a big step towards our mission of building, maintaining and sharing a Fine Art Collection of State significance.”
Dr Foley was a founding member of the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative in Redfern in 1987, with her work as an artist spanning over 30 years.
The exhibition started at the beginning of the school holidays on December 10 and is running until February 26, 2023.
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