The 100 people we should be getting behind
The foremost cultural leaders of this country will be honoured for the first time in The Australian’s inaugural The List: 100 Arts & Culture.
The foremost cultural leaders of this country will be honoured for the first time in The Australian’s inaugural The List: 100 Arts & Culture.
"The most profound examples of creative endeavour are born of experience, if not adversity, and the Australian cultural sector has had its fair share of tough times during the past two years," writes The List editor Tim Douglas.
COVID-19’s blow to the arts sector was devastating, few industries were more profoundly affected. With live performance ostensibly obliterated for two years, and tens of thousands of art workers losing their jobs. The Morrison government's rescue package for the sector provided scant alleviation; and, to add salt to the wounds, arts budgets nationwide were slashed again.
“Growing global uncertainty means there has never been a more important — or fertile time for creating art,” said Ben Quinn. “Australia must recognise the depth of talent in its midst and celebrate a new generation of cultural leaders.”
With that, The List will recognise, with reverence, the trailblazing artists, musicians, writers and performers carving out the future of art in Australia. The likes of Ben Quilty, Kate Miller-Heidke, Jane Albert and Hannah-Rose Yee, have contributed to the inaugural list.
“I just remember freaking out. Like ‘Oh my god this is the craziest shit of all time’,” said Sydney Kamilaroi rapper The Kid Laroi, reflecting on the time Justin Bieber slid into his DMs with a nod of approval. “You’ve got the sauce,” wrote Bieber.
It’s been an immense few years for The Kid Laroi. Last year, the Gadigal-born singer and rapper, became the first Indigenous solo Australian artist to top the US singles chart. He’s also the first Australian solo artist to top the Hot 100 since Rick Springfield got there with ‘Jessie’s Girl’ a touch over 40 years ago.
“What I’m about is bridging the two worlds together,” says Baker Boy. The 25-year-old rapper and dancer from Arnhem land, real name Danzal Baker, captured the triple j crowd with his bombastic music that married both English and Yolngu Matha.
The release of his debut album, Gela, projected ‘The Fresh Prince of Arnhem Land’ to great new heights. His music bridges together two cultures, introducing his traditional language to a generation of young listeners.
From Arnhem Land to Tinsel Town, Hollywood is fascinated by our homegrown stars. With the likes of Nicole Kidman, Sarah Snook, Margot Robbie, Joel Edgerton and Chris Hemsworth, all dominating the silver screen.
“Almost all of the Australians at the top of their game I’ve been lucky enough to work with are incredibly down to earth, they want to do the job,” says producer Rosemary Blight.
There’s a lot worth celebrating with the new guard of Australians taking over the stage and screen. From Kodi Smit-Mcphee, an Oscar nominee at just 25 for his performance in The Power of the Dog, and star of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis; Eliza Scanlan, who seamlessly graduated from Home & Away to HBO’s Sharp Objects and Greta Gerwig’s Little Women; Angourie Rice, who made her feature debut at 11, and has since quarantined with Kate Winslet for Mare of Easttown, and starred in Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled.
“I remember being a really arrogant little precocious bitch,” says actor Odessa Young, who stars in Binge’s new true-crime thriller The Staircase, alongside Colin Firth. Who, by the way, had nothing but praise for Young, saying that she is “one of the most level-headed, unfussy actors I’ve ever worked with, delivering remarkably convincing and powerful performance with no display of effort.”
The nebulous cover of The List was made by NFT artist and two-time Emmy Winner Raoul Marks. In less than 12 months, Marks has emerged as one of Australia's most venerated, successful collectable NFT artists. His works have appeared in several international exhibitions, and a recent Sothesby's exhibition alongside icons Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy. This artwork, My Father had a Garden, was created exclusively for The List, and is for sale on NFT platform SuperRare. From today it is available for sale, the proceeds of which will go towards a charitable fund for emerging artists.
Fellow NFT artist and favourite of The Oz, Serwah Attafuah, also makes the list. The Western-Sydney based digital artist has collaborated with the likes of musicians Genesis Owusu and Charli XCX. And has been tapped to create for brands including Mercedes-Benz and Nike.
Still an NFT cynic, perhaps Susan Armstrong and Michelle Grey, founders of Arts-Matter, will change your mind. The two creatives recently founded Culture Vault, a curated platform where first-time NFT builders and digital art collectors can purchase premium NFTs.
"The whole point of decentralisation and being online is that it's available for everyone to see. In this space you can see it all together," says Grey.
Out of the blockchain and into the real world. Sri Lankan-born Sydney artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran is capturing our attention with his vivid and irreverent ceramic and sculptural figures that reflect his interests in Hinduism, idolatry, fashion and art history. “Growing up, I didn’t see my community or myself and didn’t even think I could have a career as an artist, because I had no role models,” Nithiyendran said. “Visibility is quite powerful.”
Get to know the 100 identities shaping this country's cultural future,The List: Arts & Culture 2022, is out now in The Austalian.
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