Artist On Tour

In 2015 FARA offered for the first time a complimentary place on the tour for a selected artist. We know that many artists have shown great interest in this area and FARA was keen to facilitate the creation of more work that draws attention to the need for protection of Murujuga’s rock art.

We appreciated that every artist would approach the experience differently and we did not have pre-conceived ideas of what may come from this opportunity. There was no expectation that the artist would produce ‘protest’ art, although protest at the threat to this unique cultural heritage may form a part of the artist’s work. We also appreciated that work may not be produced during the week of the Tour but that this would form the basis for developing future artwork.

Artists working in any art form were encouraged to apply. We were keen to hear your ideas and what artists thought this opportunity might have led to. The FARA Committee determined the successful artist according to the proposal that offered the most exciting opportunity forFARA from an artist with a proven capacity to deliver.

All artists were expected to respect the cultural traditions and protocols of Murujuga’s custodians in the creation of their artwork.

FARA negotiated with Marina Baker, who was the successful artist, for access to use the work to help spread the word about the rock art of the Dampier Archipelago and its need for improved protection. Ownership of the original work remains with the artist and any copyright arrangements for use of the work are negotiated in line with Creative Commons licensing. We expect acknowledgement of the opportunity provided by FARA. We do not expect any commercial gain from an association with the artist or the artwork; FARA’s interest is exclusively to broaden the reach of its public awareness raising.

Marina’s drawings relate to the immediate impressions she got from the being on country and travelling through the landscape, and she also complimented some of those sketches with poetry. This creates a very delicate balance between images and text, delivering what the artist’s feelings were in an all-rounded manner.