[Linux-aus] penguin shirts

[Andy White]

I strongly disagree. Using a particular art style is hardly co-opting  
an entire culture; I feel that frowning upon the use of one particular  
art style trivialises the breadth and depth of aboriginal Australian  
cultures. If you were depicting the Rainbow Serpent, sure, now you're  
probably in dicey territory.

Would you frown upon a shirt that depicted Tux in Egyptian  
hieroglyphics? The style of rock paintings of some African cultural  
groups? How about a shirt done in the style of European cave  
paintings? Why does one (admittedly, very poorly treated and deeply  
undervalued) culture's art style become somehow a sacred thing and not  
to be used by the white fella - isn't using their art style a way of  
spreading, reinforcing and VALUING their culture?

At the end of the day, it's a mode of depiction - it's what you depict  
that makes the difference, IMO. If it's a significant issue for enough  
people, donate some money to one of the many welfare groups devoted to  
the aboriginal peoples of the land.

Andy White
e: andy at lgsolutions.com.au
m: +61 411246100




On 18/02/2009, at 12:17 PM, Michael Chesterton wrote:

>
> On 18/02/2009, at 11:53 AM, Sridhar Dhanapalan wrote:
>
>>
>> The limiting factor, IIRC, is that Aboriginal-style dot paintings are
>> as seen to be the reserve of native Aboriginal artists. I think this
>> is just a social matter of courtesy rather than the result of any
>> legislation. Nevertheless, non-Aboriginal use of such a style is  
>> often
>> frowned upon.
>
> I frown upon it.
>
>> If anyone else has more information on this, I'd be glad to know.
>
>
> Is it just the person who does the design, or the subject that  
> matters?
> Non aboriginal people doing the dot style just seem to be cashing
> in to me.
>
> We could ask an aboriginal artist to do a design for us, signed, and
> put an artist profile on the web site and on a flyer shipped with the
> shirt.
>
> -- 
>
> http://chesterton.id.au/blog/
> http://barrang.com.au/
>
>
>
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