Geoffrey Robert BardonAM (1940,Sydney – 6 May 2003) was anAustralianschool teacher.
Bardon studied law for three years at theUniversity of Sydney, before changing to studyart education at theNational Art School in Sydney, graduating in 1965. He taught art at variousNew South Wales country high schools before taking up a posting in 1971 to teach at the primary school atPapunya, a remoteAboriginal settlement 250 km west ofAlice Springs.
After encouraging the children to record their sand patterns in paint, he went on to encourage the adult men of the community to paint theirHoney AntDreaming on the school wall, preserving their traditionalDreamings, orTjukurpa, and stories in paint. Eric Michaels comments on this in his essayBad Aboriginal Art: "... [directed by Bardon, the elders] began to interact with certain issues in 1960s and 70s international painting, especially the extreme schematisation of New York minimalism."[1] Bardon, however, claimed non-intervention. Michaels went further to say that arguably the choice of materials (acrylic paint) was also an influencing factor.
The artistic movement unleashed at Papunya spread overCentral Australia and has since achieved international acclaim. Bardon experienced many difficulties in his time in the desert, due to the indifference, neglect and criticism of government departments towards his work – the Honey Ant Dreaming mural painted by the Aboriginalelders was painted over with white paint by the authorities. Eventually, Bardon suffered anervous breakdown and upon his return to Sydney underwent a period ofdeep sleep therapy with the controversial psychiatristHarry Bailey, which left him weakened.
Bardon worked closely with the Aboriginal painters who became the founders of thePapunya Tula painting movement during 1971 to 1973, and devoted many years after this to documenting and promoting the Aboriginal art which he so admired. He was made a Member of theOrder of Australia in 1988 for service to the preservation and development of traditional Aboriginal art forms. He was survived by his wife Dorn and their sons, James and Michael.
In the1988 Australia Day Honours, Bardon was appointed a Member of theOrder of Australia: "in recognition of service to the preservation and development of traditional Aboriginal art forms".[2][3]
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