There is a possibility the term 'realism' in painting will have to take on an extended meaning when used in reference to Dowling's work. Here reality is not just a concern for a true replication of real people, it goes beyond the surface of the image to explore the truth of their lives, losses and hopes.
With this exhibition Dowling is claiming ownership of her heritage and in doing so empowers all who have been equally dispossessed to do likewise. What we see here are powerful images of people and events that shaped the artist's identity. She accesses a single history and reflects a collective interpretation of Indigenous Nation. The exhibition is a strong personal statement that is accessible to many as it references how all histories ~ familial, cultural, political, national, and spiritual ~ are recorded with bias.
The informative catalogue essay, written by the artist's sister Carol Dowling, identifies the purpose of the exhibition while the annotated list of paintings explains the meaning behind each image. Some meanings are spelled out on the canvas. For example, the series of five finely painted head and shoulder portraits reveal three generations determined to regain a sovereignty that was never ceded. There is My Great Uncle George who cries 'Give me back my country' and My Nana, Molly who reveals 'I cannot pay for the land where my ancestors are buried'. My Mum, Ronnie states 'I have the right to practice my own land based faith, but not in this country' and in Me, Myself, Julie the artist agrees with the statement 'I have the right to practice my own land lore. Then My Sista, Carol reminds us all that 'Democracy means majority rule with minority rights.'
Still, if you don't read the who, why or what of each exhibit, Dowling's solid classical painting skills permit you to engage with her excellent portrayals of family, individuals, memories, and landscape. The most arresting image is Warridah Melburra Ngupi an heroic depiction of the artist's great great grandmother Melbin as she walks her own land under the night sky. The image embodies what is important for a nation to retain, if it is to survive; its language, symbolic references and spiritual meaning. This work along with representations of the male and female wedge tailed eagle (Warridah I and II), which are of significance to the artist's family, hold a meaning for us all. They remind us that if the memory of ancestors and the future of birds are not kept secure, the degradation depicted in Stolpersteine (Stumbling Stones) will spread and destroy all nations in this land.
This is a personal and powerful exhibition that speaks to everyone. See it, read it, look, listen, it is a real experience.