The Outsider Artwork

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The artwork “The Outsider” painted by Gordon Bennett typifies the struggle of the Contemporary Aboriginal Spirituality to deal with the issue of dispossession and the loss of identity. Gordon has achieved his purpose through the blending of the search for meaning as well as the search of his stolen identity. Bennett has incorporated Van Gogh’s artworks Vincent’s Bedroom in Arles, 1888 and Starry Night, 1889 and has incorporated his own ideas and contextual influences into the image. Bennett has used a strong, violent and deep shade of red when contrasted to the other tones displayed in the image. The Red gives the viewer a sense of anguish as they see the bloody handprints of the aboriginal man, as well as the blood spurting from the neck of the same person. The blood is a symbol of the loss of identity of the aboriginal people. The bloody handprints also symbolise the search to find his/the Aboriginal peoples way back to their disposed land and also find their way around unfamiliar territory i.e. the handprints on the wall and also the knocked over chair. The hands of the Aboriginal man also symbolise the loss of identity and the issue of dispossession. The hands in the image are beginning to lose their colour which is spreading up his body and he slowly becoming see-through. This highlights three pungent facts, firstly the assimilation into white society, this is also seen through the two heads on the bed which the man must choose from, secondly, the issue of dispossession, the man is no longer linked with the land and therefore his spirituality and finally the loss of colour in the hands also symbolises the loss of identity, not only for the man in the image but for all Aboriginal

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