Notes

The use of historical characters to explore contemporary issues provided a new emphasis in Penny Siopis’ work. By 1988 she had embarked on what she called her ‘History Paintings’ [a theme that is evident in the present lot as well]. In light of her early preoccupations, one is hardly surprised that the work focuses on women and on Africa. Siopis does not give prominence to scenes of historical events, an individual heroic protagonist, discoveries, battles and victories, the signing of treaties – the likes such as might have been seen on grand scale in galleries, or in the more modest pages of history textbooks. These more accustomed depictions of history are relegated to obscure minor roles in her paintings. Tiny images of such conventional heroes as adventurers, soldiers and colonial rulers become secondary to more assertive motifs. Such works are dominated instead by monumental figures representing those whose role in history was perceived as inconsequential – black women. The significant becomes insignificant, and the unimportant important. Siopis’ reversal of traditional roles questions the conventional criteria, conceptual and visual on which our knowledge of society is founded.

Elizabeth Rankin