Restricted Images

On 1st March 2019, FOMU - Fotomuseum of Antwerp presents the first European exhibition of Restricted Images: Made with the Warlpiri of Central Australia by Patrick Waterhouse. The first major work since his Deutsche Borse Photography Prize winning project Ponte City, Restricted Images questions the issue of representation through a collaborative method of work. Responding to an institutional uncertainty in how to approach the thousands of colonial-era anthropological artefacts, Waterhouse symbolically returned to the community of Yuendumu, in Central Australia, the agency over their own images inviting the local Warlpiri artists working at the Warlukurlangu Art Centre to paint the surface of the pictures using the traditional technique of dot painting.  

The result is a fascinating body of work which deals with awkward social, political and historical issues in a beautiful and captivating way: colourful and hypnotic acrylic clusters transformed the black and white depictions of the community members and their sacred sites, arousing curiosity in those who look at them. As the exhibition is approaching, we spoke with Patrick about the genesis of this work, the practice of collaboration and his original approach to documentary photography.

How was the project born?
I first went to Australia in 2011 and travelled extensively visiting various communities in the Central Desert Region. I was struck by the fact that there was this rich culture in that part of the world that I was not aware of, which in turn resulted in me wanting to have a deeper understanding of the history of European intervention in Australia. At school in the UK we learn all about the First and Second World War but we don’t learn about the history of colonisation, which has this huge ripple effect on the world and in some way informs many of the current issues we are facing. In the past the historical record has been incredibly biased which has resulted in this one dimensional view of history which hasn’t acknowledged past atrocities and the catastrophic effects that followed. But we also fail to see things in all their complexity which in turn leads to there not being a consensus regarding the interpretation of past events and history being brushed under the carpet. So that’s why initially I became interested in the idea of providing a platform for people from these very marginalised areas of the country to comment on various historical documents.
After I finished doing Colors in 2014 (A/N: Patrick has been editor-in-chief from 2011 to 2014), things were slowing down, I had nearly finished Ponte City in South Africa but still had the idea jumping around in my head so I went back to Australia. I began researching and looking for communities that could be interested in doing a collaboration. A lot of time was also spent researching and finding documentation, which involved going into archives –  both in Australia and Europe – initially looking especially at maps.
I returned to Australia twice and during one of those trips I ended up going to one particular community in Warlpiri country, called Yuendumu. At that time I started working with the Warlukurlangu Art Centre and they were very curious about the project. I started doing initial tests, just talking to people within the community and things evolved from there.

Whilst looking into the archives you came across the so-called “restricted images”. Can you tell me more about it?
Historically pictures were being taken in areas where the people were not aware of the implication of the camera and the subsequent use of images. There was a real disconnect between the author's intentions and the people’s understanding of the implications of the camera's ability to disseminate information. Pictures were being taken of things that were sacred and were not allowed to be shown. This led to many archives restricting access to pictures. However, understanding the history of any space is often far more intricate and while such measures constitute a form of protection, there’s also a risk of depriving indigenous people of the possibility to be represented and therefore acknowledged as active subjects in the history of their own country.
In part, this body of work is about creating a conceptual process which recognizes the corrective measures needed and makes the process part of the work whilst giving back agency to those depicted.

When did you decide to include your own photographs in the project?
During that time when I was working on the archive, I was also taking photographs and I realised that I was doing this critical thinking and reflection surrounding historical documents but I wasn’t engaging with my own practice in the same way. This resulted in me deciding to put these images  through the same process.

Collaboration is a fundamental part of your practice. How did the community members react to your idea of engaging them?
I think that collaboration is something intrinsic to documentary photography, as you are often working with someone or subjects in front of you, but this is not often acknowledged because it doesn’t fit within the narrative of the heroic myth of the lone photographer. I feel quite uncomfortable about the dynamic of going and taking pictures of people—the camera itself can be a very objectifying thing. I think instead that it’s a very healthy process working within a community, opposed to just going and taking images which go straight to a magazine or a white cube somewhere.
Speaking about this project, the community has been incredibly supportive, especially as time went on, trust develops and you build real relationships with people when you do projects for a long period of time.This process was perceived to be an empowering one and revising documents was a way to tell a story about people that may not have been recognised in the historical record. It was seen as an important thing to do and there was also a playful element to this project, a fun process. I worked with maybe 70 different people from teenagers to the elderly which led to many different kinds of conversations and outcomes. It’s estimated that over half the community make art at the Warlukurlangu Art Centre.

Restricted Images has been published last year by Self Publish, Be Happy. Is there any difference in the way you approached the project for the book and for the exhibition?
I always think in terms of books, because it’s a way of sequencing and editing. For me a book is often the place where you can consolidate your ideas. In relationship to this project, Restricted Images, is one chapter of a much wider body of work as we decided to focus on photographs I had taken. In an exhibition, the lines between the different bodies of work is slightly more blurred. The exhibition at FOMU primarily focuses on the photographs I have taken, but it also brings in some of the historical material that I think works very differently in a three dimensional space.
Book and exhibition making are both a very collaborative process and I think this is also something that often gets overlooked. In both cases you have a large amount of people involved and they also have an effect on the result. In other disciplines there is a mechanism which is much healthier, like in cinema, where the wide structure of the project is properly acknowledged, while I think that the art world has been very bad at it.

All of your projects are very complex, with a lot of research and preparation. Where do you start from?
For me everything initially comes from books, which is strange because I’m very dyslexic, so I listen to a lot of audiobooks, making drawings and notes. Often it’s a form of translation, finding an insight from something which is existing in a language and looking for a way of articulating it in images. I think that this is definitely the case for all my past work, but it’s also true for this project as well. This has been done over many years and there are many different phases to it. Photography is just one component of this project.

Patrick Waterhouse
Restricted Images: Made with the Warlpiri of Central Australia

Curated by Joachim Naudts

1st March - 9th June 2019
FOMU - Fotomuseum of Antwerp

The works in this exhibition were made at the Warlukurlangu Art Centre in the communities of Yuendumu and Nyirripi, Norhtern Territories, Australia, with:

Adrianna Nangala Egan, Alma Nungarrayi Granites, Angelina Nampijinpa Tasman, Athena Nangala Granites, Cecily Napanangka Marshall, Chantelle Nampijinpa Robertson, Daniel Jupurrurla Gordon, Delena Napaljarri Turner, Dorothy Napurrurla Dickson, Felicity Nampijinpa Robertson, Flora Nakamarra Brown, Hazel Nungarrayi Morris, Hilda Nakamarra Rogers, Jeanie Napangardi Lewis, Jessica Napanangka Lewis, Joy Nangala Brown, Judith Nungarrayi Martin, Julie Nangala Robertson, Juliette Nakamarra Morris, Kirsten Nangala Egan, Kirsty Anne Napanangka Brown, Leah Nampijinpa Sampson, Lorraine Nungarrayi Granites, Madeleine Napangardi Dixon, Margaret Nangala Gallagher, Margaret Napangardi Lewis, Margie Napurrurla Leo, Marilyn Maria Nangala Turner, Marissa Napanangka Anderson, Melinda Napurrurla Wilson, Nathania Nangala Granites, Ormay Nangala Gallagher, Otto Jungarrayi Sims, Pauline Nampijinpa Singleton, Polly Anne Napangardi Dixon, Ruth Nungarrayi Spencer, Sabrina Nangala Robertson, Sarah  Napurrurla Leo, Selma Napanangka Tasman, Shanna Napanangka Williams, Steven Jangala Hargraves, Tanya Nungarrayi Collins, Valda Napangardi Granites, Watson Jangala Robertson, Wilma Napangardi Poulson