Meet Fang (his local name), one of the Fraser Island dingoes enjoying a bit of quiet time on the island. The crew at Orchid Beach Trading Post and Driftwood Bar took this stunning photo last week. They’re not sure if Fang has a pack and say he ‘hangs out’ when they head down to the beach… he does sit at an appropriate social distance!
Chatting online to the Orchid Beach family, dependent on visitors to the island, was yet another reminder of how levelling this time of isolation is and how important the smallest amounts of support for local businesses—and the flow on effects to staff and then to family—can be. (Check the very end of this article on how you can support your local watering hole via the amazing Love of Your Local campaign)
Now back to the science (there really won’t be any science)…
…but if you would like some science click to this dingo listing at The Australian Museum, or this page about Fraser Island Dingoes.
These beautiful creatures can be found in all parts of Australia. There are many examples of them cross breeding with domestic dogs, creating camp dogs in remote communities and pesky wild dogs in agricultural areas. Their reemergence as a wildlife icon is seen in the works of First Nations artists across Australia. My early memory of this was Lin Onus‘s work in the late 1980’s, but I’m sure there’s earlier examples.
I’m excited to say we will be borrowing a Lin Onus wall piece for the FOUND! Studio Dog central venue at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery. No spoilers, you’ll have to come and check it out but on the sculptural dingoes by Onus in the National Gallery of Australia collection, curator Stephen Gilchrist says:
Lin Onus developed an overt self-identification with the dingo during a trip to Lake Eyre in the 1980s. Witnessing firsthand this much maligned animal in its natural habitat, Onus noted its cunning adaptability and tough survival instincts, despite natural and introduced obstacles. Seeing analogies with the postcolonial experiences of Indigenous people, Onus used the dingo in a number of works as a totemic signifier of himself and as a metaphor for the Aboriginal diaspora. Dingoes 1989 represents Onus’s first foray into fibreglass sculpture and reveals his wry humour, technical finesse and commitment to social justice.
Text © National Gallery of Australia, Canberra 2010
From: Franchesca Cubillo and Wally Caruana (eds) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art: collection highlights National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 2010
And if you’re visiting any of the major art galleries in Australia, when they reopen, always ask a guide what First Nations’ works are on display. There are always collection pieces available for viewing somewhere in the gallery, such as this beautiful work by artist Craig Koomeeta, that I stopped and chatted to in January at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane.
And to the colour of beer…
Here’s how you can support your ‘local’ and also buy yourself a beer to celebrate when this is aaaaaaaaaall over! Or a ginger beer 😀
Head to www.loveofyourlocal.com.au then nominate your participating local and buy a pint of CUB beer. The cash goes to the venue immediately!
Carlton & United Breweries then matches that purchase with a free pint, meaning people get 2 for 1 pints when their local re-opens. WHAT!!!!
And you can sit and sip and think about dingo colourings, and plan your visit to the FOUND! Studio Dog | Exhibition & Art Trail.
Woof!
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