SALON17
Australians do love a cheeky renegade – so when the idea for an exhibition of works rejected from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards (NATSIAA) was born, it was a winner from the outset.
Conceived in 2013 by Darwin gallerists Matt Ward of Outstation Gallery and Paul Johnstone of Paul Johnstone Gallery, the show draws on the original French idea of exhibiting works rejected by the jury of official awards.
This is Salon des Refusés Territory style – a curated selection of paintings, sculptures, works on paper, digital, textile and mixed media by 58 Aboriginal artists submitted but not selected for the high-status NATSIAA.
Johnstone says a renegade show was never their intention, but audiences instantly embraced the exhibition as a chance to get their own judge on.
“Viewers of NATSIAA can come here and question the choices the official judges made. The show allows free discussion about the merits of the works included into NATSIAA compared to those at the SALON.”
But everyone’s a grinner at the end of the day, with all works at SALON17 for sale and another opportunity to promote the richness and diversity of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art realised.
“One of the best outcomes is that all these wonderful works that weren’t accepted initially can still go on display. The artists win and the viewers win."
Thu 10 Aug – Sat 30 Sep | Charles Darwin University Art Gallery
