Remembering the future: Walpiri life through the prism of drawing

Summary

What can drawings reveal about their makers? In 1953 anthropologist Mervyn Meggitt invited Warlpiri men at Hooker Creek to draw with crayons and paper. Two men astounded him with their drawings made 'for the pleasure of drawing'. Six decades later the Warlpiri men's descendants have been introduced to the drawings, triggering memories of dislocation and galvanizing attention to the present day as well as fears and hopes for the future.

Discussions, journeys and archival research build a compelling account of the colonial and contemporary circumstances of Warlpiri lives, including the crucial role of images in relationships between Warlpiri people and the dominant society.

Remembering the future breaks new ground in writing about Central Australian Aboriginal art and makes a significant contribution to Australian anthropology and the interdisciplinary field of visual studies.

Melinda Hinkson is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow in Anthropology at the Australian National University.

Reviews and endorsements

'With eloquence and insight [Hinkson] reveals the frameworks of interpretation that have contained the drawings, exposing the limits of our understanding, and breaking open these frameworks to the activities and lives of real people, past and present.' 

— Professor Fred Myers, Silver Professor of Anthropology, New York University

'This landmark book breaks new ground in exploring Aboriginal visual culture and will serve as an important touchstone in years to come.'

— Professor Jane Lydon, Wesfarmers Chair of Australian History, University of Western Australia

'[Remembering the future] marks a generational change and a new approach to scholarship.'

— Dr Luke Taylor, Adjunct Professor, Australian National University