Perception of Culture in a Post-Modern Australian Society

1739 Words4 Pages

To What Extent Does a Person’s Relationship With Their Family Members Influence Their Perception of Their Culture in a Post-Modern Australian Society? Although there are many cultures within the Australian society of today, to what extent does a person’s relationship with their family members influence their perception of their culture? It seems that for many of the Eastern and Australasian cultures that have integrated themselves into Australian society, these relationships are definitely something that influences their perception of their culture.

One Eastern culture that has integrated itself into Australian society is the Chinese culture, which is one of the largest foreign groups of people living in Australia. Australian born and bearing Chinese heritage, artist William Yang elaborates on this integration through his series Life Lines 2009. Yang has produced two works in this series; the first is a large piece (Illustration 1) that consists of a collage of portraits of his family members mixed with pictures of historical Chinese locations in Australia. The second (Illustration 2) is a piece of portraiture style but instead, Yang has displayed himself in these images where he shows the viewer a portrait of himself for each stage of his life up until present. Alongside these images is a collection of personal items which helps to make the piece more personal as the viewer can connect with the story Yang is telling. Both of Yang’s pieces exhibit a cloudy sense of belonging as the Chinese culture is entwined within the boundaries of the Australian culture but as the viewer steps away from the somewhat encouraging view on Chinese culture in Australia, it is clear that “While Yang’s use of photographs and objects to ...

... middle of paper ...

...stralian art, viewed viewed July 30 2011,

3. Hmijoc Eatene, 2010, Otamaiti The Children) directed by Simal Urale, viewed July 26 2011,

4. Unknown, 2011, Contemporary Pacific Art, viewed July 26 2011,

5. Russell Storer, 2006, Strange Fruit, viewed August 8 2011,

6. Russell Storer, 2006, Strange Fruit, viewed August 8 2011,

7. Russell Storer, 2006, Strange Fruit, viewed August 8 2011,

Open Document