About

Drawn from the Indigenous Australian Art collection, 'Smokescreen: A Thickness of the Air' presents artworks that disguise, disrupt or conceal. The motives for obscuring elements of an artwork range from the protection of secret or sacred ceremonial business to the illustration of natural phenomena that veil or blur our vision – like a billowing smokescreen.

'Smokescreen' highlights paintings that embody abstract patterns associated with disguise in a contemporary context, a suite of paintings that replicate or highlight patterns found on animals and works showcasing traditional body painting designs. These works challenge our perceptions of past and present.