In Li Bardawu (The Houses), 2019, Charlie revisits the housing conditions in remote communities through the eyes of an Aboriginal person using an instant camera – similar to those introduced to her by the many linguists and teachers who came to Borroloola during her youth. Charlie – who works independently because Borroloola’s art centre has closed – has limited access to the resources and high-tech equipment usually required to produce photographic work, but Polaroid cameras have provided her with the opportunity to push her practice, experimenting in new and unconventional ways. Whereas My Country No Home resulted in large-scale photographs taken outside people’s properties, Li Bardawu (The Houses) depicts more intimate and candid moments inside the domestic space. The instantaneous nature of Polaroid film has allowed Charlie to not only to capture the many details that often go unseen, but also to evoke the sentimentality of the family photo album – although, rather than tracing joyous and tender family moments, Charlie’s ‘album’ depicts experiences of government neglect and degradation.
Ultimately, Charlie’s work is both as artist and activist, and it is through her photography that she demands more for her community and ultimately hopes to gain the attention of government. The intimacy of these Polaroid photos – reminiscent of our own family photographs – humanises those featured in them and reframes the experience of life in a remote community through the lens of compassion, dignity and respect.
– Liz Nowell | Director, Institute of Modern Art
