Patrick Waterhouse Restricted

"The Warlpiri offer a new way of seeing, one that is predicated upon respect for a culture and a people that have been systematically destroyed by Western "civilization.”” –Miss Rosen, Feature Shoot

Warlpiri of Central Australia's art is showcased in Restricted Images, a collection of works from the Warlukurlangu art center. In Australia and Europe, access to archives of colonial-era anthropological artifacts is now restricted in order to respect Aboriginal cultural beliefs. These images were once celebrated by colonialists, but attitudes have shifted and there is uncertainty about how to represent them. To give these communities control over their own images, British artist Patrick Waterhouse collaborated with them to paint over his photographs, using the traditional dot painting technique.