2020 IB Extended Essays

most likely have to face ( This alternative Australian currency celebrates Indigenous leaders, 2019 ). The emotional journey that’s driven by a body of work that both critiques the exploitation of Indigenous people whilst also illustrating the intrinsic movement of capital during Australia's colonial project, has become a postcolonial payback for artist Ryan Presley. Michael Cook Michael Cook, a dignified descendent of the Bidjara people of south-west Queensland, works to restage colonially-focused histories in a retrograde reality for Indigenous populations within his evocative photographs. His images invite an audience to probe the vanguard Indigenous communities that have chosen not to confine to the colonial way of life ( unDISCLOSED, 2017 ). Whilst Cook’s work challenges our deep-seated belief system, his images are merely observations that evoke questions without proposing neat prescriptive judgments. Despite being adopted as a baby by a non- Indigenous family, Cook’s mother fought for Aboriginal rights throughout the 1970s, providing him with a profound understanding of his Aboriginal ancestry. Her political advocacy gave Cook a diverse view of perspectives from a young age, which radiate unmistakably from the work he produces today ( Michael Cook - Summary | AustLit, 2014 ). One of Cook’s most ambitious photographic series to date, Invasion , re-imagines the Aboriginal experience, exploring tragedies of Australia’s past and proposing a positive outlook for the future. Cook’s work can be separated from other photo -media artists through his distinct method of photographic manipulation that is seen throughout this series. In fusing aspects of fashion and commercial industries, the