Del Kathryn Barton shows off Australian art's risque side in Berlin

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
By John McDonald
Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran "Head" (2017), Earthenware, glaze, gold lustre and enamel, 75 x 75 x 60 cm
BERLIN---Although we live in a world in which the ugliest forms of nationalism seem to be making a comeback, there is one partial antidote: cultural exchange. This year the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), is promoting cultural ties with Germany, under a program titled Australia Now. There are two of Del Kathryn Barton's paintings in the show: And Stain through Hair and Flesh ... and Stain through Fur and Flesh ... and Hard Wet (both 2017). The other artists are Brook Andrew, Pat Brassington, Dale Frank, Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Patricia Piccinini, Ben Quilty and Paul Yore. It may not be a tasteful selection, but it's eye-catching. [More]
Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori's Dibirdibi Country (detail). Photo: Supplied
Image caption: Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran "Head" (2017), Earthenware, glaze, gold lustre and enamel, 75 x 75 x 60 cm