Bad Aboriginal Art: Tradition, Media, and Technological Horizons

This is an account of Eric Michaels’ period of residence and work with the Warlpiri Aborigines of western central Australia. It is the story of the complex negotiation of culture and technology that flowed in and out of the Warlpiri desert community during the period of Michaels’ interaction. By removing himself from the role of external expert or collaborator and inserting himself into the practices of cultural production and consumption of the Australian Aboriginal people, Michaels created a new dynamic of facilitation and co-operation within the priorities of local political and cultural agendas.