[Gallery Walk] Questioning Eurocentric Thinking

Australian Artist Daniel Boyd's First Solo Exhibition in Seoul 'Treasure Island'

Countless Dots on Canvas as 'Lenses to View the World'
Diversity Expression Against Western-style Totalitarianism
Exhibition of 24 Paintings, Mirror Pieces, and Videos

Australian author Daniel Boyd. (Photo by International Gallery)

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] In 1770, British explorer James Cook gazed through a telescope at a continent beyond the horizon. The unknown continent his eyes reached through the lens was a paradise for indigenous people who had settled there 40,000 years ago. However, to Cook, it was merely land to fill Britain's wealth. The indigenous people were seen as uncivilized beings to be enlightened. This was the prevailing Western European perspective on the New World at the time. After Cook's visit, white settlers flooded into the area and committed mass massacres of the indigenous people. Eventually, the land became the white settlers' territory known as Australia.

Currently, about 200,000 indigenous people remain in Australia, accounting for only 0.77% of the total population. They have become a rare ethnic group referred to by the special term ‘aborigine.’ Daniel Boyd, a descendant of the aborigines and a contemporary artist, is holding his first solo exhibition at the International Gallery in Seoul. His purpose is to criticize the West for arbitrarily rewriting the history of his ancestors and to elevate this issue to a universal level to foster empathy.

Most of Boyd’s works are created using pointillism. They consist of countless transparent and convex ‘glue’ dots on black linen canvases. Each dot represents a ‘lens’ through which we view the world. Boyd explained that these lenses "represent the way we understand and perceive the world as a collective, in other words, plurality and diversity." This perception opposes the Western rationality under the name of ‘reason’?the lens of Cook?which is universalist and totalitarian.

Daniel Boyd's portrait of Plato, 'Untitled(PCCAS)'. (Photo by International Gallery)

The most prominent work is a small portrait of Plato displayed on one side of the exhibition hall. Plato is the figure who provided the philosophical foundation for Western rationalism. The way imperialism justified itself as the enlightenment of civilization over barbarism is also a consequence of Plato’s dichotomy and reason-centered ideology. There is no explanation or title for the work, so the artist’s intention in painting it is unknown. However, critical messages against Eurocentrism are found throughout his works. In this regard, the intention behind displaying the portrait of Plato is clearly revealed.

The title of this solo exhibition is ‘Treasure Island.’ Boyd drew inspiration from the novel ‘Treasure Island’ (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850?1894), a Scottish novelist and poet. The exhibition features ‘Untitled (TIM),’ a painting of the treasure island map mentioned in the novel, ‘Untitled (FAEORIR),’ a portrait of Stevenson, and new paintings inspired by Stevenson’s personal belongings. The entire exhibition consists of 24 paintings, one mirror sculpture, and one video piece.

The largest painting installed in Gallery 1 is ‘Untitled (POMOTB),’ measuring 3 meters wide and 1.4 meters tall. It borrows the poster of the 1962 film of the same name, which was inspired by the 1789 ‘Mutiny on the Bounty.’ The film tells the story of British sailors overthrowing a tyrannical captain and falling in love with an indigenous woman from Tahiti. Three paintings themed on the ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ are displayed in this exhibition to reveal how Western unilateralism has been firmly maintained through popular culture. Yoon Hyejung, director of the International Gallery, introduced the work by noting, "It draws attention to how even in the film, South Pacific indigenous people are ‘backgrounded’ and ‘objectified.’"

On the second floor of the exhibition hall, visitors can view Boyd’s video work. The approximately six-minute video is shown on a giant screen. The dots painted in pointillism remain fixed, but the colors within them continuously change, creating the illusion of movement. It seems to convey a belief that the diversity of perspectives each of us holds will be firmly maintained. The content within appears to influence each other, change, and even create new possibilities, evoking a sense of hope.