Dreaming Emu: Men, Trauma, Art, and Healing - Paperback

by Dwayne Andrew Kennedy (Author)

Dreaming Emu: Men, Trauma, Art, and Healing awakens the soul to the anguish, suffering and insidious nature of racism, sexism, and gender-based prejudice. These interwoven dynamics are explored through an equally provocative analysis of the shadowy heart of Australian identity. The author artfully exposes the Australian male's tender underbelly by examining the history and culture of masculinity-gone-wrong. From the depths of colonial despair arise signs of Aboriginal Australian's contemporary quest to reclaim men's identity and the Dreaming. Incorporating art-as-therapy combined with narrative analysis, the author demonstrates a practical and hopeful pathway for the recovery of culture, identity and Sacred Business. Analysis of the life and work of Albert Namatjira and two contemporary male Indigenous artists deepen the ethnographic profile. More than essential reading, this work is vital to redefining the national identity of Australia while recasting reconciliation and Aboriginal affairs within a new landscape of integrity.