Gazing at Whiskey's vibrantly luminous work, you might start to notice some recognisable faces. Standing both triumphantly and cheekily in the centre of this work are Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Dolly Parton, Cher, and Mary, the Mother of Christ. Wonder Woman and Kaylene Whiskey, the artist of this work, frame the picture.
But Whiskey does not stop there - the work is teeming with metaphors and meaning. For instance, Whiskey’s decision to choose seven women is deliberate, as a homage to the story Kungkarangkalpa, the Seven Sisters Tjukurpa, a legend that saw seven sisters pursued across the continent by the devious Wati Nyiru. The sisters band together, protecting each other from his persistent advances. But here we see Whiskey centring and fusing contemporary Anangu life, and modern culture. She was part of the generation that grew up with Coca Cola and television, alongside the Tjukurpa cultural stories and the Bush Tucker. And this riotous collision of times present and times past becomes one of the bases of Whiskey’s practice.
If you look closer, you will also see that the work is painted on a decommissioned road sign, which reads, ‘visitors to Iwantja Arts are welcome, please proceed directly to the art centre’. These road signs are now a relic of the past, because today the Iwantja Arts centre is a powerhouse in contemporary Australian art – and no longer relies on passing tourists. It’s a powerful message of new artistic appreciation, and speaks to the growing contemporary art scene in South Australia.
And have you ever wondered how Whiskey works? She painted this work while listening to a soundtrack of classic rock, pop and country music. Gazing at this glittering vibrant work, you can almost hear that soundtrack in the background. The work sings, it dances. It sort of is alive. Whiskey really does invite all these different cultural motifs and generations to come together. She said she wanted the work to show a ‘strong positive message about life in remote indigenous communities’, and in this she totally succeeds - this work truly is a celebration.
