William Ricketts Sanctuary, Victoria (Australia): Sculpting nature and culture in a primitivist theme park

Abstract

William Ricketts Sanctuary presents itself as a peaceful refuge in the forest-clad hills of the Dandenong Ranges, on the outskirts of Melbourne (Australia). Intertwined among the winding paths, 92 major and numerous minor clay sculptures of Aboriginal people and wildlife themes animate a vision of civil life with essential human spirituality, here captured as Aboriginal being. We explore in this article William Ricketts' imaginary Aboriginality - his clay-sculpted vision in intellectual, social and historical contexts.