Joan Ross
Born: Scotland
Lives and Works: Sydney, NSW
Artist Statement
Colonial Grab, 2015
HD video animation, 7 min 38 sec
Animation and sound Josh Raymond
My video Colonial Grab transports us via a poker machine, in and out of a number of scenarios, creating a world of dissonances. This is a rich and layered work, it looks at colonisation and its legacies, ownership, environment, globalisation, consumerism and greed.
In a poignant scene, whole trees from John Glover’s 19thC paintings with the original stylised Aboriginal people painted decoratively in the branches are plucked from a painting and arranged, Ikebana-style, by a colonial woman wearing Ross’ signature hi-vis, in an act of total disregard and disrespect, in an effort to try to control nature.
The play of a poker machine - the ‘Colonial Grab’, where you can try your luck, seek your fortune, fluke a windfall, chance a win and gamble on the future. But of course, the odds are always in the House’s favour.
About the Artist
Working from a deep love of nature and disdain for colonial superiority, Scottish Australian artist Joan Ross takes an honest approach to colonialism in Australia, penetrating the frequent whitewashing of Australia’s colonial past and present. Ross’ philosophical approach, that spans a range of media, is born from a desire to understand and critically engage with that history. Fluoro and furious, Ross reimagines colonial imagery, imbuing each work with cultural references that make visible our ongoing complicitness in the colonial legacy. Using her trademark fluro yellow, Ross highlights the pervasiveness and impact of colonialism, focusing especially on the outcomes of greed.
In 2021 Joan designed the hoarding for The Art Gallery of New South Wales' Sydney Modern expansion and in 2022 illuminated the façade of the National Gallery of Australia during the Enlighten Festival. Joan was awarded the National Art School Fellowship in 2023, most recently she had a survey show at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra Those trees came back to me in my dreams 2024-2025, where she was invited to select portraits from the collection and situate them alongside her own artworks.
Ross works across artforms including painting and drawing and is keenly interested in 3d digital printing, video & virtual reality. Commissioned by the Mordant & ACMI, Ross made Did you ask the river? (2018) a virtual reality project where the intuitive or natural desire of users reveal that we are all part of the colonial problem.
Joan will also be part of our Artist Panel at 2pm on Saturday 14 June in the Berry School of Arts. Tickets: $10. More info and tickets here.
