Currently running at the Ian Potter Centre, REKOSPECTIVE charts the career, so far, of Reko Rennie.
Why is this relevant to the community here in the West? Well, Reko was brought up in Footscray in the 1980s and 90s where he undertook his first public artwork at the age of ten; using a can of spray paint he wrote his first tag ‘REKO’ on a building nearby to his primary school.
Reko is a self-taught artist and draws heavily on his Indigenous roots and links to the Kamilaroi people of northern NSW.
His early work in the western suburbs involved graffiti and stencil work, and he acknowledges that he has been very influenced by the work of Warhol and Keith Harding, but particularly Jean-Paul Basquiat and this is noticeably clear in the work on display here.
One piece here from 2015, ‘Initiation’, recalls the Footscray where Rennie was born and grew up, evoked through symbols of suburbia mixed with Kamilaroi symbols and his increasing awareness of his connection to his land and culture. It is a striking piece.
Another departure from 2D and sculpture in this work is the fascinating three-channel video work. Reko made a road trip in a hand painted 1973 Rolls-Royce Corniche, emblazoned in his signature camouflage, to Kamilaroi Country. He wanted to highlight the injustice of his people and particularly his grandmother being taken into what can only be called slavery, at the age of eight, to work on a sheep station where the owners drove around in Rolls Royces and Bentleys.
The Rolls Royce sits loud and proud in the NGV foyer. After having just returned from Alice Springs, I am amazed they got all the red dust out.
The works are vibrant and rich with symbolism. Reko has combined traditional Indigenous art with his own approach to new mediums with some strong intertextual references, notably the crown used extensively by John-Paul Basquiat, which in Reko’s work also references colonialism.
The retrospective runs until Jan 27, 2025. Perhaps chosen with some significance?
They also have some very nice Reko design socks in the NGV shop!
Until January 27, 2025
The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Russell St, Melbourne
