Talking to a Brick Wall

TALKING TO A BRICK WALL

Nicole Monks

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2016

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Since time immemorial Aboriginal people have been the continuing custodians of this land now known as Australia. This fact cannot be disputed. Yet within the Australian Constitution, the very system that governs us, Aboriginal history is invisible.

Why can’t you see me?

I pose this most personal question to provoke all Australians who live under the Constitution without question, including myself.

Taking away the bureaucracy and political jargon from this exercise, I connect with the human side of this story, the relevance and the impact that this system has on me as an Aboriginal Australian. In my work, I transition through all the emotions I have personally experienced when noting my reaction to the invisibility of Aboriginal people in the Constitution: from questioning, animosity, stupidity and ignorance to anger, worthlessness, sadness and diminished. I internalise these emotions which I allow to escape as a physical manifestation.

The magnitude of changing the Constitution feels overwhelming and almost impossible; it has nothing to do with factual information but everything to do with people’s perceptions and voting power. I symbolise this by taking lead from the western quote ‘talking to a brick wall’ where there is really no point to my actions.

In the here and now, there is still no resolution, we have no clear direction forward and whichever path we travel it will be a long and arduous journey during which time I will still remain invisible.

Why can’t you see me?