Gordon Bennett Appropriation

The use of appropriation has played a significant role in the history of the arts. Appropriation is a strategy that has been used by artists for millennia. It involves the intentional copying, borrowing and alteration of pre-existing and often popular works. Many artists believe they are re-contextualising or appropriating the original imagery, allowing the viewer to renegotiate the meaning of the original in a different, more relevant, or more current context and that in separating images from their original context, they allow them to take on new meanings. Artists such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and Gordon Bennett use appropriation as a form of bringing new, often personal, meaning to an artwork such as Gordon Bennett’s ‘Outsider’.

‘Outsider’ is dated from 1988 and appropriates two of Dutch painter Van Gogh’s paintings. The painting focuses on Bennett’s struggle for self-identity as an Australian of Aboriginal and Anglo-Celtic descent. Bennett’s ‘Outsider’ uses appropriation to convey a darker message of the search for self-identity and the cruelty towards aboriginal people in Australia.

Bennett chose Van Gogh’s paintings ‘Starry Night’ and ‘Bedroom in Arles’ to appropriate from as he associated the intense and energetic brushstrokes and brilliant colour contrasts with his struggles.

‘Vincent’s bedroom in Arles’ displays a calm mood whilst Bennett’s appropriation becomes the site of violent conflict that involves complex and intersecting personal and cultural histories

The paining ‘Starry night’ was made when Van Gogh was in a mental asylum after he had an episode that resulted in him cutting of his own ear. The painting depicts the view from his asylum room, which Bennett could incorporate into his feeling of being trapped in a society that doesn’t accept him.

Symbolism is Gordon Bennett’s way of expressing his opinions and beliefs into his artwork so people can achieve a deeper understanding of his life and struggles with identity. The marble-like heads on the bed represent modern art and how the indigenous community is repressed from it. Their eyes are closed and their mouths are shut which symbolise the deafness and muteness of the indigenous community when relating to modern art as it is seldom seen. The open window in the artwork is a representation of Bennett’s need to escape from this harsh reality that suppresses his community and background and the knocked over chair emphasises the urgency to do this. Bennett’s painting depicts the figure of a headless Aboriginal man that has an animated presence. A gush of blood red paint shoots into the sky from his body and bloody handprints are stamped across the walls all to represent his repressed indigenous heritage making the artwork a very personal piece. Bennett

says,

“…my work is very personal . . . and there is something cathartic in it for me. I think that if other people can empathise enough there may be something cathartic in it for them, too.”

Gordon Bennet used appropriation in his artworks as a way of linking his life experiences with other artist’s works, which breathe new life into them. He used appropriation in ‘Outsider’ because he associated his struggle with identity to Van Gogh’s insanity. It adds meaning to his artwork as it has incorporated two well-known pieces into a new one, which expresses an entirely different meaning whilst keeping the original intensity. The Outsider is a success in relation to the communication of the piece. His message can be easy analysed and understood and the use of appropriation brings new life to the paintings. Therefore Bennett’s artwork is a truly inspiring piece that can teach the importance of expressing beliefs and not forgetting the world’s vast cultures and communities.