To exceed the boundaries of language: text in the visual art practices of contemporary artists Gordon Bennett, Shane Cotton and Tony Albert

Abstract

This thesis addresses the use of text and language in the visual practices of three contemporary artists: Gordon Bennett (Australian, 1955–2014), Shane Cotton (New Zealand, b. 1964), and Tony Albert (Australian, b. 1981). In recent decades, local art histories in Australia and New Zealand have expanded globally as well as shifted internally to recognise, support and celebrate the work of Indigenous artists. The visual art practices of Bennett, Cotton and Albert, all contemporary international artists and Indigenous people, offer particular insights into this changing landscape. Quotational strategies and the re-use of images, objects and texts from both local and far-reaching sources are analysed and compared.