Message Stick -  Sights Unseen: Pt 1

The late Michael Riley is one of the most important contemporary Indigenous visual artists of the past two decades. Over his 20 year career he created an impressive body of work ranging from black and white portraiture, to film, video and large-scale digital photography.

Sights Unseen, a two-part special, is an intimate account of Michael's short but prolific life. Riley not only looked at the world through a different lens, he wanted the world to view what he saw. His films and photographs challenge perceptions of Indigenous life, particularly in eastern Australia.

Episode one features Michael's friends, colleagues and family and shows how a young boy from Dubbo achieved international acclaim through his art and vision.

Next week's final episode features Michael's films as well as his photographic work Clouds which received international acclaim for Michael and is now hung in the new Musee Quai Branly in Paris.

Message Stick: Sights Unseen: Pt 1 will be repeated on ABC2 - Monday, July 28 at 5:00pm