Thesis Abstract: Nyoongar Identity and the Art of Christopher Pease
Ainslie’s Master’s thesis explores the art and life of Christopher Pease. Whilst there are existing areas of scholarly research documenting Nyoongar Aboriginal art, the art of Christopher Pease remains relatively unexplored. Written in the form of a monograph, she explores Pease’s life and a selection of his artworks, focused on his paintings connected to Western Australia’s south coast and his Nyoongar heritage. The reader will gain an understanding of the politics of Aboriginal identity within an Australian postcolonial context and about Pease’s identity in relation to his Australian upbringing. Ainslie also provides an analysis of how Pease’s art is linked to Western modes of painting and extends existing scholarly research on Nyoongar nation art and cultural practices. Finally, this thesis provides a meaningful contribution towards a curatorial discourse on an accomplished Western Australian artist.