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Broken Spear - Aquisition by Cook (diptych - fish)
Broken Spear - Aquisition by Cook (diptych - fish)

Broken Spear - Aquisition by Cook (diptych - fish)

Artist (born 1952)
Date2017
Object number00055134
NamePainting
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsOverall: 204 × 1373 × 40 mm
Copyright© Helen S Tiernan
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionA diptych by Helen S Tiernan titled 'Broken Spear - Acquisition by Cook' depicting a group of dead fish left together on shallow water. The group of fish contains a shark, parrot fish, puffer fish, eel and a snapper amongst others. In the background a group of shadows of fish and other creatures swimming. In this lower painting of two, Helen S Tiernan merges references to rock art and enduring Indigenous life over thousands of years with the reality of contact with Europeans and the impact on Indigenous land and way of life. SignificanceArtist Helen Tiernan's painting 'Broken Spear - Acquisition by Cook' is significant as an example of modern re-interpretation of colonial history from an Indigenous perspective.