The Devil Made Him Do It, 2011, Christian Thompson
C type photograph, 98cm x 98cm
Provenance: Private collection, Sydney. Lawson-Menzies, Sydney.
Dr Christian Thompson AO is an indigenous contemporary artist who explores identity and history in his works. Working within a multitude of mediums including photography, video, performance and sound, his original formal training was as a sculptor. In his live performances he represents a range of personas achieved through handcrafted costumes, and carefully orchestrated poses. In 2010 Thompson made history when he became the first Aboriginal Australian to be admitted into the University of Oxford in its 900-year history (1).
In 2011, Christian Thompson produced the Native Instincts series, of which, ‘The devil made him do it’ is part. In this collection, he approaches the impersonations of Indigenous people that are to be found within popular culture and are presented as an authentic image of Indigenousness. Thompson appears in this work in full ceremonial costume, with lurid blue face paint and a crown of feather adornment. Appearing almost clown-like, he ridicules these representations while questioning notions of authenticity and what this means in Aboriginal culture today. By acting as both photographer and subject of the work, he maintains complete control (2).
Other works by this artist: