Wollongong City Gallery will present Other Side Art, the first museum survey of the work of South Australian Indigenous artist, Trevor Nickolls, from 4 February – 10 April 2011.

Nickolls is known as “the father of urban aboriginal art”1. His drawings and paintings reflect his personal experience as a Nunga man and his relationship to land, place and history. They make accessible ideas about nature vs nurture, the psychological and physical self, black and white, ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’ that inform our experience of contemporary life.

Spanning Nickolls’ work over a 35 year period, this survey tracks the social history of Australia using the artist’s visual vocabulary, his own iconic language that has influenced and informed subsequent Indigenous artists’ practice. Nickoll’s unique vision set the direction for a generation of urban Indigenous artists.

The survey includes more than 55 paintings and works on paper, brought together for the first time from public and private collections across Australia.

The exhibition has been curated by Michael O’Ferrall, a senior independent consultant and curator who has worked with Trevor Nickolls for over three decades, including as the curator of the official Australian Pavilion at the 1990 Venice Biennale, which presented Nickolls’ work alongside Kimberley artist Rover Thomas.

Director of the Ian Potter Museum of Art, Chris McAuliffe, says the exhibition will establish for new audiences a strong sense of Aboriginal cultural history and socio-political experience.

“It will connect contemporary artists to a tradition of endeavour and experiment. The project will have a substantial impact on younger artists, who, in experiencing survey exhibitions, discover role models and see at first-hand the meaning of commitment, longevity and personal vision”, McAuliffe said.

The exhibition will be officially opened by Djon Mundine OAM, Bandjalung writer and independent curator, on Friday, 4 February at 6 for 6.30 pm. Refreshments are available and all are welcome.