'Captain James Crook edition 4 of 4' and 'Captain James Crook (unmasked)'

Images(2)

'Captain James Crook edition 4 of 4' and 'Captain James Crook (unmasked)'

Artist Jason Wing

Date2013

Object numberV00055322

MediumBronze

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection

Terms

DescriptionTwo bronze busts of Captain James Cook by artist Jason Wing. 'Captain James Crook edition 4 of 4' depicts a traditional style bust of Cook wearing a black balaclava. 'Captain James Crook (unmasked)' despicts a similar bust without the face covering. HistoryThe artist Jason Wing is a Sydney-based Biripi artist from New South Wales who strongly identifies with his Chinese and Aboriginal heritage. Wing feels that it is important that these works are in a NSW institution located close to where Cook landed and that there is a great synergy and conversation between the work "Crookie", the ANMM and the ENDEAVOUR replica. This to him is a very exciting and significant site-specific link. The first iteration of 'Captain Crook edition 4 of 4' artwork titled "Australia was stolen by armed robbery" which won the Parliament of NSW Indigenous Art Prize in 2012. This work took the form of a ready-made sculptural bust that Wing purchased on the website marketplace Gumtree, to which he added a real balaclava that the audience were asked to take off and put back on 'Crook'. 'Captain Crook edition 4 of 4' was subject to an alleged intellectual property and moral rights challenge, with Jason Wing also potentially facing a civil suit for defaming Captain Cook's good name. Nothing eventuated from these potential legal challenges except that they spurred Wing to recreate the work as a new balaclava-clad bronze bust. Because of this work, Wing also received death threats and hate mail with media identities Andrew Bolt and Steve Price publicly criticising him in mainstream media.SignificanceThis powerful artwork is significant in providing an Indigenous Australian perspective on the dialogue about how Captain Cook 'discovered' Australia, challenging the notion of ownership and Terra Nullius.

This will be the first time that 'Captain James Crook (unmasked)', created in 2013 whilst working with Liao Sheng Xian, has been publicly exhibited alongside 'Captain James Crook edition 4 of 4'.