In 1835 the town now known as Wilcannia, New South Wales, Australia was "discovered" by explorer Major Thomas Mitchell. Located far inland on the shores of the Darling river, the name originates from the language of the local Barkindji people and is thought to translate to mean either 'gap in the bank where the floodwaters escape' or 'wild dog'. The polarity of this lost translation has come to be reflected in the identity of the Aboriginal community that calls the area home.
The Barkindji are a people pulled in different directions: an isolated indigenous community striving to rewrite a cultural story long ago torn from its grasp while simultaneously facing the challenge of modernization and influence. Despite being traditional keepers of one of the most prosperous countries on the planet they endure near third world conditions. Barkindji men have an average life expectancy of only 35yrs, the rate of domestic violence is 13 times that of other Australian communities, unemployment is over 50% and the infant mortality rate is 3 times higher than for non-aboriginal people. The town is dependent upon government subsidies for survival and overcrowding, apathy, violence, alcohol and drug abuse keep the community in a cycle of survival mode.
In plain view of these challenges, my work has come to reflect not only the deep scars clearly on the surface, but also strives to see the community that continues to move forward. There is life, despite the shadows cast upon the Barlkindji. There is rhythm and meaning to the ways in which their community operates, despite the dysfunction that plagues it. The challenge of looking past the obvious is what is driving my work now and inspires a level of understanding that leaves me sometimes going a whole day without taking a photo. I listen more, observe more, feel more and hopefully understand more. I have shifted to relying less on the whole story to unfold in one image, and to look more to my subject to tell their story through the mediums of multimedia. The details sometimes shift for me, but the central goal driving the work is to leave any viewer with a sense of empathy for the Barkindji, the ability to relate on a human level, despite disparities in socioeconomics and living conditions.
Please click here to watch a multimedia preview piece of the work I have completed to date.
