The Art of Masculinities: Creations and Transformations of Aboriginal Men in Australia
What does it mean to be an Aboriginal man in Australia today? The number of projects that have attempted to respond to this question is limited. The gaps in knowledge and understanding about Aboriginal men in Australia today are many and significant. This project seeks to respond to these gaps by considering the story of Aboriginal men in Australia, from creating an image or images of pre-colonial Aboriginal societies, to examining the impacts of colonisation, and the ongoing disruptions and pressures from contemporary settler-colonialism. Doing so makes an original and valuable contribution to the emerging field of Indigenous men and masculinities globally, while establishing a foundational text from which new research on Aboriginal men can be built upon in Australia. Unlike previous investigations exploring contemporary issues of Aboriginal men and masculinities, this project deviates in its approach and methodology. This project applies a spatial analysis to Aboriginal men, identifying five core dimensions that influence and define conceptions of the self at the heart of Aboriginal men and masculinities. These five spatial dimensions are: -Country -Existential -Physical body -Social -Institutional These five spatial dimensions are contextualised by a person's experiences. Overlaying a spatial lens as an analytical tool deepens our understanding of Aboriginal men and provides an original and insightful perspective in the contestation, and progression, of Aboriginal men and masculinities through time. This project develops a new theory of masculinities, embedded in the creative practice of art making. This thesis describes a palette of masculinities operating in contemporary Aboriginal contexts. The palette of masculinities refers to the opportunities available to Aboriginal men in settler-colonial contexts and creates strategic openings for limited expressions of self-determination. Throughout a man's life he is engaged in a creative process of self-portrait making - the Art of Masculinities. Using art as a metaphor to explain Aboriginal masculinities is useful as it describes a close and intimate process of experimentation, and creative self-discovery. Art, like masculinities, is also deliberate. Both require purpose, intent, and are guided by a sense of wanting to express oneself, and be desired. As Aboriginal men grow and learn about the world and themselves, their art evolves. Dipping into different colours and testing different styles allows him to form art that is uniquely his, and that changes over time. This original contribution to the field of Aboriginal masculinities provides a practical framework for Aboriginal men to better understand themselves and provides support to better comprehend a person's circumstances and guide actions. At heart, this is an essay intensely focussed on the Aboriginal male self. This self exists both individually, as a group/s, and as a community. The self exists physically, spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally. Applying a spatial analysis to each of the five dimensions of the self creates a larger framework to explore formations of Aboriginal masculinities in contemporary Australia. The purpose of this analysis is to create a wider understanding of the environment and times within which the Aboriginal male self manifests and operates. It is about comprehending the various ways that colonisation has transformed spaces, places, and communities, and the consequences on Aboriginal men as a result.
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