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Post colonial: return to sender
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 11:23 authored by McLean, IThere he is again, waving to us on the flyer for the latest exhibition at the Museum of Sydney. Bungaree's bare footed rehearsals have gone centre stage. The court jester has become king. But let us not confuse art with life or present desires with past intentions: this is a painting by Augustus Earle, an itinerant artist of Empire whose intent, surely, was to parody Bungaree's antics in order to affirm colonialism's moral legitimacy. But the larrikin presence of Bungaree in the poster belies this historical reading. Who then do we side with: Earle or Bungaree? Do we make an historical reading which gives precedence to Earle's intent, or follow our postcolonial intuition which sees, in Earle's parody, Bungaree's parody of colonial ritual?
History
Publication title
Australian Humanities ReviewIssue
12ISSN
1325-8338Department/School
School of Creative Arts and MediaPublisher
Australian National University, School of HumanitiesPlace of publication
AustraliaRepository Status
- Restricted