Doolagarl
Tommy
Australia, 1984
wood
The Museum of Unintentional Art acknowledges the original custodians of this land, the Cadigal people, who were dispossessed by European invasion more than two hundred years ago. Indigenous artist Tommy, who uses his artistic talents to focus less on cultural preservation and more on cultural reactivation, has created a piece to bring a Cadigal people story back to life with this stylized representation of the Doolagarl. This controversial art piece boasts three large phallic objects in front of a church. John O’Keefe placed the phallic objects literally in the face of the church to critique the common sexual abuse in the Catholic church. The strong sexual connotation is highly disputed among local politicians and the clergy. It raised an ancient discussion about the use or misuse of governmental art funds.