ART

ART is the second collaborative poetry work from Charmaine Papertalk Green and John Kinsella. It is a formidable call and response piece that builds on the stunning dialogue the two authors began on paper in False Claims of Colonial Thieves (2018). While ART is a collaborative work, each poet’s contributions are presented independently. They showcase their talents in a dynamic exchange, working innovatively to present a poetic response to artworks.

The focus of their attention is a series of paintings by the late Nyoongar painter Shane Pickett. Pickett’s work provides provocation for both poets to reflect on their own lives and histories on Nyoongar country. Their interwoven dialogue examines the politics of the contemporary art world, of museums, archives, and galleries.

The book also features a conversation between Charmaine and Shane’s son Trevor Pickett, which discusses Shane’s life, influences and the significance of his painting and worldviews, along with a selection of visual works by Charmaine.

About the Authors

Charmaine Papertalk Green was born at Eradu (between Geraldton and Mullewa) on Southern Yamaji country, and lives in Geraldton Western Australia. She is a member of the Wajarri, Badimaya and Nhanagardi Wilunyu cultural groups of Yamaji Nation in Western Australia. Green is a visual artist, poet and writer and began writing poetry in Mullewa in the late 1970’s. Her publications include Just Like That (Fremantle Art Press 2007); Tiptoeing Tod the Tracker (Oxford University Press 2014); collaboration with WA poet John Kinsella, False Claim of Colonial Thieves (Magabala Books 2018); Nganajungu Yagu (Cordite Publishing Inc.’s 2019); and numerous anthologies and other publications.

John Kinsella is a non-Indigenous collaborator who lives on Ballardong Noongar land at Jam Tree Gully in the Western Australian wheatbelt. He is an iconic and well recognised Australian poet, is the author of over forty books, and his many awards include the Australian Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Poetry, the Victorian Premier’s Award for Poetry, the John Bray Award for Poetry, the Judith Wright Calanthe Award for Poetry and the Western Australian Premier’s Award for Poetry (three times). His latest books are The Ascension of Sheep (2022), Lucida Intervalla and The Collected Poems of Christopher Brennan (UWA Publishing, 2018 and 2019); On the Outskirts (UQP, 2017), and Drowning in Wheat: Selected Poems (Picador, 2016).