Strong Men, Past and Present, Graham Patterson
Strong Men, Past and Present, Graham Patterson
Acrylic on canvas, 122x91cm, 2020
$2500
This painting shows how ancestors guide and protect today's men. Men can be seen gathered in each corner. The hand in the centre is a symbol of resilience.
'I am a Taungurung Yorta Yorta man.
I’ve lived in Healesville all my life. I love painting goannas and snakes, and although I’ve lost track of my totem, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the snake or goanna, as my paintings flow when I paint them.
My great great grandmother, Lydia Briggs, whose picture I’m holding, lived at Corranderrk. Her daughter Lizzie Edmunds was my great grandmother.
Lydia Briggs died in Miloga in 1885 after being told to leave Coranderrk and to leave her children behind. When she arrived in Miloga she asked if she could return to get her children, and was told she couldn’t. This was after Superintendent Green left Coranderrk.
I love painting to keep culture alive and to paint the way I feel about being a Koorie person. If we didn’t paint we’d lose our culture and stories.'
