Joshua Bonson | Skin by Cooee Art Leven

JOSHUA BONSON: SKIN PRESENTED BY COOEE ART GALLERY

25 AUGUST - 8 SEPTEMBER 2018

Cover (front & back) image: Skin (detail), Synthetic Poymer Paint on Board, 51 x 41 cm, 2018

Joshua Bonson | SKIN The inspiration for much of my work to date has emanated from engagement with my Indigeneity and my own identity as I grow and mature both as an adult and as a young man. In this sense, my art becomes both the medium and the lens through which I seek to explore my sense of self within the context of a contemporary Indigenous culture that is itself dynamic and evolving. This can be a challenging and confronting journey but it’s one all of us must take and have taken, and it is worth it.The gaining of insight, becoming aware of a sense of purpose in life, the feeling of belonging, and an affirmation of both identity and integrity of character are all necessary milestones to aspire for and attain. This is a critical part of my journey at the moment. SKIN is a celebration of my family’s totem, The Saltwater Crocodile and my personal view of the world. Even though I live in the Northern Territory, part of my heritage comes from the Torres Strait and creating this work is my way of trying to represent my skins affiliations and my place there. The armoured skin of the reptile is shown by the built-up serrations of the paint, applied by hand or directly from the tube. It is a close-up of a reptile’s skin, and a landscape both seen from a distance and up-close. Thick underlying layers of blues and greens represent the sea; shades of black, yellow, orange and red create the details of rocks and sand reflecting country. Everything is connected, the land, the water and us. Like the crocodile, we are saltwater people with an ancient lineage. I have become part of the work as I run my hands across the surface while painting each piece. - Joshua Bonson

Skin (Triptych) #16645 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Board 30.5 x 30.5 x 4 cm (each) 2018

Left: Skin #16698 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Canvas 200 x 160 cm 2018

This page: Skin #16700 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Canvas 138 x 74 cm 2018

Skin (Diptych) #16647 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Board 51 x 41 cm (each) 2018

Skin #16648 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Board 51 x 41 cm 2018

Skin #16649 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Board 51 x 41 cm 2018

Skin #16650 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Board 51 x 41 cm 2018

Skin #16651 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Board 51 x 41 cm 2018

Joshua Bonson | SKIN Mirri Leven

Director, Cooee Art Galler y

Cooee Art Gallery is delighted to present SKIN, the first solo show in Sydney for Darwin based artist Joshua Bonson. Bonson shares stories of his Indigenous heritage through his work. SKIN is a celebration of his family’s totem - The Saltwater Crocodile - and his personal view of the world. Whilst in his senior years at school, Bonson started to dabble with paint, creating textured black and white paintings in acrylics in what he describes as a 3D style. He applies his paint thickly creating works that are contemporary in appearance yet embody age old Indigenous traditions and meanings. The idea is to recreate the scales of a saltwater crocodile, which my grandfather told me is my totem.The armoured skin of the reptile is shown by the built-up serrations of the paint and other materials applied by hand or directly from the tube. But it also works on different levels – it can

be read as a close-up of a reptile’s skin and as a landscape both seen from a distance and as close-up details of rock’s and sand - Joshua Bonson In this current body of work, colour too plays an integral role. Thick underlying layers of blues and greens represent the sea; shades of black, yellow, orange and red create the details of rocks and sand reflecting country. Through his art, Bonson is trying to rediscover his lost family culture and establish his place within it. My great grandmother was from Badu in the Torres Strait Islands and her eldest son was my grandfather, Donald Bonson Senior. He is the inspiration for my work. He told me everything is connected - the land, the water and us. Like the crocodile, we are saltwater people with an ancient lineage – Joshua Bonson Joshua also traces his ancestry through his great-great grandmother Dolly Bonson, a Jawoyn woman from Katherine who was also known as Bett-Bett the servant girl featured in We of the Never-Never and The Little Black Princess books by Jeannie Gunn. Joshua Bonson was the youngest ever finalist in the prestigious Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award when just 18 years of age. Four years later at 22, he won the Togart Contemporary Art Award in Darwin. In 2013 Joshua was again a finalist in the 30th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, a finalist in the City of Albany Art Prize, and the winner of the Top End NAIDOC artist of the year. In 2014 he held his first solo exhibition internationally and received the Young Achievers Award NT, in the Artist of the Year ceremony. A year later he was awarded a scholarship to the Bundanon Trust Artists Retreat, NSW by Ervin Vidor, Director of the Toga Group and was also a finalist in the Churchie Art Award QLD.

Left: Skin #16699 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Canvas 90 x 52 cm 2018 Left: Skin #16701 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Canvas 90 x 52 cm 2018

This page: Skin #16702 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Canvas 90 x 52 cm 2018

Skin #16694 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Linen 120 x 117 cm 2018

Skin #16695 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Linen 120 x 120 cm 2018

Skin #16696 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Linen 120 x 120 cm 2018

Skin #16697 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Linen 120 x 120 cm 2018

Skin (Triptych) #16646 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Board 30.5 x 30.5 x 4 cm (each) 2018

Skin #16652 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Canvas 74 x 74 cm 2018

Skin #16653 Synthetic Polymer Paint on Canvas 74 x 74 cm 2018

Cirriculum Vitae Born: 30.10.1988, Darwin, NT Jawoyn / Kala Lagaw Ya peoples Award winning Darwin artist Joshua Bonson, with no formal training, has exploded onto the national art stage with works in Collections of the National Gallery of Australia, Kerry Stokes and Art Bank, and many private collections both nationally and internationally. Joshua is a painter who shares stories of his Indigenous heritage through his work. AWARDS & PRIZES 2015 2014 2013 2011 2008 2007

Awarded Finalist Winner Winner Finalist Finalist Winner Finalist Finalist

Scholarship by Ervin Vidor, Director of the Toga Group; Bundanon Trust Churchie Art Award, Brisbane, QLD Young Achievers Award NT, Artist of the Year 2014 Top End NAIDOC Artist of the Year 2013 City of Albany Contemporary Art Prize, WA 30th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, NT Togart Contemporary Art Award, NT 25th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, NT 24th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, NT

COLLECTIONS National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT Toga Contemporary Art Collection H.M & R.A Horton Collection, QLD & NZ Duncan-Powell Collection, SA Somerville Community Services Inc. NT Wheelock Properties Collection, Singapore Peter Cooke Collection, QLD Jane Jordan Collection, SA & NT

Kerry Stokes Collection, Perth, WA Art Bank Collection, Sydney, NSW PricewaterhouseCoopers,Perth, WA Lyndsay-Lowry Collection, SA Varga-Coombs Collection, NSW Arthur Roe Collection, VIC John Robinson Collection, NT Churchie Collection, Brisbane, QLD

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS 2018 2017 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2008 2007

Connections Exhibition - Power House Museum, Sydney, NSW Starlight Foundation Charity Ball; Darwin NT - donated a painting that sold for $15,000 Garrmalang Festival Darwin, Group Exhibition, Darwin Entertainment Centre Starlight Foundation Charity Ball; Darwin NT - donated a painting that sold for $10,000 Joshua Bonson & Judy Maddalozzo Exhibition, Darwin, NT Finalist: Churchie Art Award, Brisbane, QLD Solo Exhibition - ReDot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore Group Exhibition: Australian Experimental Art Foundation, Lion Arts Centre, Adelaide, SA Finalist: 30th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award - NT Finalist: City of Albany Art Prize, Albany, WA Solo Exhibition Centre for Contemporary Art, Darwin, NT Group Exhibition: Australian Experimental Art Foundation, Lion Arts Centre, Adelaide, SA Solo Exhibition - Harvison Gallery, Perth, WA Winner: Togart Contemporary Art Award, Darwin, NT Solo Exhibition - Harvison Gallery, Perth, WA Group Exhibition: Melbourne Art Fair, VIC, Karen Brown Gallery Finalist: 25th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award – NT Finalist: 24th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award – NT

Acknowledgements Thank you to Adrian Newstead and Mirri Leven for holding my first solo exhibition in Sydney. To my parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Greg and Lynda Bonson and my sister Jessie Victoria who have always been the quiet driving force keeping me on track and focused during my pursuit as an artist. This catalogue of work titled SKIN is dedicated to you. Thank you and I love you. Special Thanks to Susan Varga and Anne Coombs, Sonny Kent and Gary Single for their interest, encouragement and support during my artistic journey. Thank you to Ervin Vidor, Steve Larkin, David Silva, Peter Cooke, Hetti Perkins, Karen Brown, Chips Mackinolty & Suzanne Stirling who have all played an integral part of my journey as an artist to date. - Joshua Bonson, 2018

COOEE ART GALLERY