Indigenous Art body may face criminal investigation: Painter Nyunmiti Burton speaks out (Watch)

Renowned APY artist Nyunmiti Burton turned to the Pitjan­tjatjara interpreter and checked that I was “getting video of this?”
Assured that my iPhone on a tripod was rolling, she nodded and said “Palya”, good, and ­returned to her testimony about the goings on in the APY Arts Centre Collective’s studios. She was adamant, forceful and angry. And she was insistent that her story be told.
What she had to say that day last December in Adelaide was shocking, and the fact she was saying it was hugely significant - Burton was featured in the promotional material for the ­National Gallery of Australia’s marquee exhibition, Ngura Pulka.
Read the full investigation: bit.ly/443qYe7
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Renowned APY artist Nyunmiti Burton turned to the Pitjan­tjatjara interpreter and checked that I was “getting video of this?” Assured that my iPhone on a tripod was rolling, she nodded and said “Palya”, good, and ­returned to her testimony about the goings on in the APY Arts Centre Collective’s studios. She was adamant, forceful and angry. And she was insistent that her story be told. What she had to say that day last December in Adelaide was shocking, and the fact she was saying it was hugely significant - Burton was featured in the promotional material for the ­National Gallery of Australia’s marquee exhibition, Ngura Pulka. Read the full investigation: bit.ly/443qYe7 Connect With The Australian Online 🖥 www.theaustralian.com.au Follow Us: Facebook ► facebook.com/theaustralian Instagram ► bit.ly/39w5T2j Twitter ► twitter.com/australian LinkedIn ► www.linkedin.com/company/1008560/admin/feed/posts/ 🎧 Podcast ► www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/the-front/podcast/7e7d42e8c77b597cf8532d2e0c847e10 🎥 Subscribe To Our KZbin Channel: bit.ly/1OT7tw4 #breakingnews #news #headlinenews

[@ozredneck22]

Albanese wants Truth Tellling, well here it is.

[@fullsendit292]

name checks out

[@Escherlife]

Art is big business to some…and big business will always take advantage of the artist for their own monetary gain. This is so sad and disheartening. I truly believe she was manipulated to recant her statement. I really hope she is treated with more care and dignity now that she’s stood up for herself in some way ❤

[@rashone2879]

The art “world” is full of scammers and crooks just like the rest of the world. It’s all about money, connections, cliques. Her art is beautiful. It’s devastating when a real artist realizes what’s going on. I gave up painting because of the local stuff that went on where I live…you get shut out if you’re not “in” with the right people. People are awful, vultures.

[@moorek1967]

Would you rather have your art seen or sold? Why are you relying on other people to show your art when you can do it yourself? We live in the internet age, you can make your own art channel because there are billions of people who can't or don't go to art galleries, so really the only ones paying money to go to them are people who can afford to be snobs. Let me tell you, 25 MILLION people watched one video of the Danish National Symphony play two songs that were together in the same movie, and none of those millions paid money to fly to Denmark to watch it live. Why? Because the internet allowed them to be taken to a place where they could hear it. Two songs. If millions of people watch cow hooves being scraped and rugs being cleaned, then surely people will look at your art as well without you having to be in cliques. Local snobs made you quit art? What is wrong with you? Waiting for snobs to approve of you. Put it on your own channel, people will watch.

[@TheMediaMachine]

Why would you give up painting? I'd never give up drawing and painting, no matter what. I just won't have my work involved or showed at these crooked places and with crooked people but to give up painting? I didn't paint for validation. I paint to express my ideas, thoughts, feelings. It's who I am, an artist. The world is big to make connections elsewhere than relying on certain type of people. I'm sorry but many artists are terrible at marketing themselves. They rely too much on people they know or people they want to connect to. There are millions of customers out there, you can attract them using the internet by being good at marketing your work and at advertising online. Create your own channel or whatever but stop trying to get approved and validated by snobs.

[@moorek1967]

@@TheMediaMachine Agreed.

[@MarinaHolistica]

Shocking but unfortunately not surprising. Big name western artists often have interns do the work eg Damien Hurst, but this is known and understood. The case with aboriginal art works just shows colonialist attitudes are slive and well fueld by corporate greed.

[@bangazboom9925]

It’s an odd thing to claim - “Aboriginal Art”. So much of Australian Aboriginal art has been influenced by the art of Asia, most notably Indonesia and India. And the most influential person to Aboriginal desert art came from a non-aboriginal, who brought to the desert, in the ‘70s, a completely new way of painting to the indigenous people, and with his guidance, they started dot paintings. So why there is outrage over this topic in the video doesn’t make sense. All artists rely on other people to make their art and their inspiration and creativity is not solely owned by them. The top artists who have ever lived have all worked with a team of people, skilled artisans to bring their visions to life. That said, it’s another thing to claim authorship and not acknowledge the assistance of others. And it’s worse to produce paintings under another’s name and profit off those. There’s a profitable market for it, always has been, but it doesn’t make that action moral and it’s definitely not ethical.

[@keitheldershaw9428]

His name was Geoffrey Bardon, my art teacher at Richmond High School, and I was his student in 1971 when he left to travel to Alice Springs.

[@sheerluckholmes7720]

@@keitheldershaw9428 thanks for connecting the dots! 🥸

[@sheerluckholmes7720]

This rort has been going on since the 80's.🙄The art of exploitation.😉

[@queenslander8400]

VOTE NO

[@peterhobbs3367]

65,000 years of continuous connection to an art form invented by a whitefella in 1971. Makes perfect sense to Albo. VOTE NO.

[@craigparker4108]

All their talking points are fabricated. Archaeological sites in the 70"s were shut down when they found 2 previous & different civilizations. They refuse to talk about the pygmy type of new Guineans that were here, & Dingoes have only been here 3,5000 years. Appropriation is as old as time.

[@stretchka111]

Exactly

[@jkauran1262]

I am so sorry for Nyunmiti Burton , the Pitantjatjana interpreter and peoples, I respect( and pay you my respect) your hardship in trying to be the give your best to your Family and Peoples. No other race should tell you how to be ( or manage)or take your skills or stories away from you with any disrespect, or ill intent . I Hope the people who need their health needs meet will receive the most deserved help they need.

[@peterjames174]

the indigenous paintings are not traditional, acrylic paint is not traditional .

[@sheerluckholmes7720]

Plastic tubs,paint brushes from Bunnings- the traditional corporate owners of hardware- all good.🤫

[@leaffyTrees]

This dot painting is not traditional, it was traditional painting style in Indonesia and brought to Australia by a Art teacher.

[@Corey-pd3mi]

Wonder if they trust British Paints 🤔

[@ItsMe-yv9jd]

We all know that greedy art gallery owner has made dozens of those massive paintings, secretly done up by their white staff\artist assistants and he has hidden them away, until the real artist dies and the secret hoard of paintings the gallery says were 'done by her' are suddenly made available for sale, and worth 10 times more, because the artist is dead... all about making money off the talent of someone else, (how much, how fast and how easy you can do it is the trick folks.)

[@elephantintheroom5678]

Spot on.

[@Mister_Holdsworth]

yeah mate, blackfella painted it, honest.

[@franklesser5655]

Too many artist have troves of "assistants" that execute most of their works

[@rickdrescher9690]

"as we prepare to publish Nyunmiti recanted her allegations and returned to paint." proving the white dollare is more important than her heritage.

[@sheerluckholmes7720]

"Caught between a rock and a hard place" as the saying goes 😥

[@user-mc6js8or3r]

Their Lands and natural resources are far more important , , , denied both she now uses her ancient crafts to live

[@tonypepperoni3679]

​@@user-mc6js8or3rgo away Wumao.

[@ct5625]

She's being exploited, just as Aboriginal people always have been. "Heritage" is useless if you starve to death.

[@rickdrescher9690]

@@rotoscopic8757 At the end of the clip. Written across the screen. Open your eyes.

[@MareeK4346]

You should take them to court, totally wrong.

[@macclift9956]

The civilised world has truly gone off its head!

[@user-yr4mo3iz4d]

use white man paints anyway, no traditional colours are that bright or come from earth. lol

[@user-mc6js8or3r]

Colonizers response😮😅

[@andretheintrovert]

I'm a little lost, tried reading comments to comprehend the issue but I humbly ask what's the deal? From my understanding an aboriginal painter with a specific style makes some art, then behind the scenes a group of people (white because skin colour matters apparently?) Replicate her style, aid her in completing her work and she gets all the credit anyways? I know it can't be that simple but that is what i have ascertained soo what am i missing?

[@rotoscopic8757]

Before you get your heartstrings yanked, skip ahead to 6:40

[@CHUNKYNUGGET666]

Greeds destroying everything and like nothing before..

[@rof8200]

Don't we realise that non indigenous people will also speak for them too? These "helpers" will try to be their voice.

[@mrdobalina3451]

“They should be making us cups of tea when we’re painting”… Kind of says it all about how Aboriginals think of “white people” - to use their term.

[@sheerluckholmes7720]

Hope they drink Billy Tea or Bushels and not Earl Grey English Breakfast ! 🤔

[@shineayandrews1869]

Not all Aboriginals. But at the same time consider how poorly they’ve been treated.

[@mrdobalina3451]

@@shineayandrews1869 Instead of Aboriginals focusing on the events of yesterday focus on the issues that are occurring right under the noses right now in their own communities. The “white people” of today have nothing to do with what may or may not have happened to them.

[@dawsie]

@@sheerluckholmes7720even I won’t drink earl grey English breakfast, yuck good old bushels for me every time unless I’m drinking coffee

[@elephantintheroom5678]

WHAT? This is an outrage! Nyunmiti Burton is right! The assistant's job is to make the star artists cups of tea, and wash their brushes, not point to where they should paint, or order them not to have whomever they want in the studio! They are treating the artists like slaves, and even presenting their own inferior work as being done by the hand of the master! This is shocking, and infuriating. Stop exploiting artists!

[@ylass8884]

Fraud ! ........ ripping off artists and purchasers

[@PASKEN458]

'Scandal' 😂 This might possibly be the biggest non-event in history.

[@readhistory2023]

The gallery is selling the art as her's when in many cases she didn't finish the painting or even touch it and the gallery also emphasizing it's aboriginal art. It's called fraud and it's a crime.

[@spudspuddy]

she understands English perfectly well so why is there an interpreter.

[@cherylhmackie]

Because it is her second language, not her first. She would speak her indigenous language by choice. This is quite common.

[@spudspuddy]

@@cherylhmackie because she speaks her own dialect doesn't mean she doesn't understand English ..durr

[@cherylhmackie]

@@spudspuddy I spent some time in the APY lands and one thing I noticed is they speak their own language really well, while they understand English they don't understand it as well as a native English speaker. Because their language is tied to their culture, things can get really misunderstood when translated to English. To prevent this an interpreter is used. This is a normal culturally aware practice.

[@locustsandhoney486]

This what happens when you been propped up for forty years. And you still expect a hand out.

[@user-mc6js8or3r]

Whose hands??? 😅

[@3pipper]

What a disgrace indeed… May the spirits Bless you auntie…

[@jack-sf5bf]

art has corruption no doubt the voice act with be filled with corruption aswell

[@joeson7700]

Infamous China DAFEN village people exquisite Artist - FORGER can Supercede original classical / modern artist CREATION and reporter said some or most are in Museum & or SOLD by any EGO Auction house.

[@noiamspartacus8965]

It is not uncommon for artists studios to use assistants to fill in less detailed areas of paintings with the artist completing the work. Art borrows from other influences, this artwork uses a dot painting technique that was originated from a European artist, the paints and canvas are also commercially produced. Is the objection related to the assistants skin colour? The assistants in the video look experienced in how they are painting... Buyers of such paintings can decide for themselves if this is a grift or not. If the painter has signed the finished painting, surely that is legit? Certainly it is a different matter if someone forges the signature or date etc.

[@reedbender1179]

yes sparty, whatever you say. 🤣

[@ct5625]

I'm an artist, to compare this racist exploitation and imposition to the traditional methods of the great painters is obscene and you should be ashamed of yourself for attempting to justify it.

[@noiamspartacus8965]

@@ct5625 Top artists today such as Damian Hirst may use studio assistants to do parts of some artworks, obviously with the artists permission. However I am not aware of the assistants race as ever being an issue. How ironic is your comment!

[@firstandlastname6601]

Thats so wrong, is that not fraudulent? Pluss isn't it also taboo for a white person to be painting sacred stories?

[@tennisgleem]

another conspiracy!..............better check the gallery whether they are digital prints they selling.

[@bussi7859]

Soo terribly ogly