My country, I still call Australia home: Contemporary art from Black Australia

Michael, why did you start investigating Australian history from an Aboriginal perspective? How is your account different from standard accounts of what has happened in this country? My projects are a way of teaching myself about Aboriginal history. Being adopted at birth, my mother brought me up with a good understanding of my Aboriginal heritage, but I never felt that connection to my Indigenous ancestry. Through my work I get to learn the history of my ancestry, then create projects in a way that I can enhance or change a person’s perspective on what is — or could have been. How do you develop your ideas and where do you find your research materials? I am constantly working on new ideas. An idea can start from a question, something I see on the net or in a book, a story someone has told me, or something I learnt when I was a kid. I usually start a project by researching on the web and, if required, go to the library, buy books on the subject, or talk to people who relate to the subject. The next stage is to create a rough layout, either in Photoshop or hand-drawn. Once I have the storyline laid out, I then search for all of the material I need to create the project, create a time frame and select models (if required) and locations. I love the process of starting with a blank canvas and an idea, and then seeing a finished project hanging in a gallery space, and how what I have created may change a person’s view. Your work is playful and witty. What gives you the most pleasure and satisfaction with your work? I love seeing how my images affect people, listening to their comments about how they feel after viewing the works. I create my projects with a certain storyline, but then each viewer will create their own story depending on their own life experiences. Sometimes I try and bring a touch of humour into what can be a very sad history, so people will take time to view the depth within the work. Interviewed by Bruce McLean, Curator, Indigenous Australian Art, March 2013 Michael Cook Bidjara people an interview Michael Cook Bidjara people QLD Civilised #13 (detail) 2012 Inkjet print, ed.5/8 Purchased 2012. Queensland Art Gallery 84