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Maddison Gibbs
May the spirits be with you | 2024
May the spirits be with you. @ St Dominics Grounds
Situated on the Catholic Church bell tower is a Serpent-like spirit sculpture, intended as a call to worship Ancient Aboriginal culture. It grows from the earth – our mother, creator, god, goddess – and wails though warped bell sounds as she experiences deep pain and ongoing trauma. As we cut down the trees, we cut off our limbs. As we poison the air, we choke our lungs. As we rape the country, there is nothing left. We are spirit, spirit is us. We look the to ‘most high’ and ‘holiest’ of places for guidance, forgetting that we are the spirit, the land, the nature, the stories and the culture. We must replace the energy taken from the earth with dance, song, story, music, words, love. Aboriginal Culture has proven the power of true worship and respect through the ongoing resilience and thousands of years of survival, this serpent spirit is a reminder that the spirits are always with us, we are the spirit.
bio:
Maddison Gibb’s multidisciplinary practice as artist and activist examines dual histories - focusing on stories of past and present Aboriginal societies and spirit. Maddison works across a wide spectrum of cultural praxis, utilising many methods and ideologies. Current thematic interests include intergenerational stories of contemporary Aboriginal affairs - with a focus on telling women’s narratives.
statement:
My artworks are based on my culture, people and surroundings, they tell stories of past and present by using contemporary methods and ideologies. My works include political statements and educational information regarding Aboriginal issues including Aboriginal Matriarchy, a subject which I am extremely passionate about. I use different mediums for my works including drawing, printmaking, installation, public art, and large-scale murals.
St Dominics Grounds
Landscapes, and Whispers | 2022
Landscapes, and Whispers. @ Combamalong Studios Rylstone Common
‘Landscapes’ (Rylstone Common) is a site-responsive work that considers invisible layers that exist within Australia’s landscapes, to activate seemingly hidden sites including dual histories and dual perspectives across times, marking 200 years since colonisation. In ‘Whispers’ (Combamalong Studios) spirits dance in the sheoaks, whispering songs of Country and stories of the constellations and the knowledge they hold when caring for Country. ‘Whispers’ is paying respects to our ancestors and continuing contemporary ceremonies.
bio:
Maddison Gibbs is a proud Barkindji woman who grew up in Dubbo, NSW. She currently lives and works between Sydney and Kandos, NSW. Both artist and activist, Maddison Gibbs practice examines dual histories – focusing on stories of past and present Aboriginal societies and spirit. A multidisciplinary artist, Gibbs works across a wide spectrum of cultural praxis, utilising many methods and ideologies. A current thematic of Gibbs’ work focusses on the intergenerational stories of contemporary Aboriginal affairs – with a focus on telling women’s narratives.
statement:
My artworks are based on my culture, people and surroundings, they tell stories of past and present by using contemporary methods and ideologies. My works include political statements and educational information regarding Aboriginal issues, a subject which I am extremely passionate about. I use different mediums for my works including drawing, ceramics, printmaking and animation.
