Sacred Country: Robert Fielding

Our land has been painted, photographed and documented by White People for hundreds of years. These photographs now sit in collections, hidden in institutions, archives and private collections. Our land cannot be fully represented by any picture. It is a living thing. Our land is sacred.

Robert Fielding

When I photograph my Elders, there remains much secretiveness around them. Their eyes have seen much, their stories held in everything they do, everything they create. Their knowledge is part of us, our culture, our country, our future. Their presence is an unmoving reminder of the fact that we have been linked to this landscape since time immemorial.

Robert Fielding

By creating photograms, working quickly in the landscape and exposing them with the sun they become more than a snapshot. These images are a part of this landscape, relying on the sun and water, formed by the forces they depict.

Robert Fielding

We know our land, our country and our culture are sacred, but sometimes we must remind others. In these reflective panels the viewer is reminded that they are as much an expression of this sacredness as the landscape itself.

Robert Fielding

Our people, our spirit, our languages, our song and dance are all expressions of the sacredness of this earth. This sacredness radiates through my Elders, in everything they do, everything they are, everything they create. It can be seen in all expressions of this landscape and its people. From the earth we come and to the earth we return. My work is a reminder of that sacred interconnectedness – Miil-miilpa.

Robert Fielding