I Secure My Place Whilst Disregarding Others (Capt. J. Cook), 2024,
acrylic paint and gold foil on xuan paper
(H) 90 x (W) 60 cm
The human tendency to "secure one's place whilst disregarding others" is a constant in history, a recurring theme in the symphony of human folly. It's a melody played in colonial narratives, and contemporary life. The nature of such ambition – is it a force of nature, an inescapable aspect of the human condition, or a learned behaviour, a virus of the mind?
My painting reinterprets Nathaniel Dance-Holland's iconic portrait of Captain James Cook, delving into the complexities of his legacy and the concept of terra nullius—a doctrine that denied the existence of Indigenous sovereignty despite Cook's documented encounters with Aboriginal peoples in Australia. The title, "I Secure My Place Whilst Disregarding Others," prominently displayed at the bottom, underscores the ruthless ambition that drove colonial expansion, highlighting the selective blindness to the lives and cultures that were systematically erased.
In a deliberate subversion of historical imagery, the side of the painting features a hybrid pith helmet, a blend of Ku Klux Klan headgear and Balaclavas, both sharing a similar visualisation. The colonial portraiture deliberately painted over a human being. The work challenges viewers to confront the uncomfortable truths of history, urging a re-examination of celebrated figures and the legacies they leave behind.
My painting reinterprets Nathaniel Dance-Holland's iconic portrait of Captain James Cook, delving into the complexities of his legacy and the concept of terra nullius—a doctrine that denied the existence of Indigenous sovereignty despite Cook's documented encounters with Aboriginal peoples in Australia. The title, "I Secure My Place Whilst Disregarding Others," prominently displayed at the bottom, underscores the ruthless ambition that drove colonial expansion, highlighting the selective blindness to the lives and cultures that were systematically erased.
In a deliberate subversion of historical imagery, the side of the painting features a hybrid pith helmet, a blend of Ku Klux Klan headgear and Balaclavas, both sharing a similar visualisation. The colonial portraiture deliberately painted over a human being. The work challenges viewers to confront the uncomfortable truths of history, urging a re-examination of celebrated figures and the legacies they leave behind.