WARLPIRI ARTISTS OF THE TANAMI DESERT IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA
Judy Napangardi Watson
Photograph Copyright: Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association
Title: Mina Mina Tjukurrpa
Date: 2006
Size: 183 x 122 cm ( Aprox. 6` x 4` )
Medium: Acrylic on Linen
Provenance: Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association :# 2545/06
PRICE: AU$27,000
Art Centre certificate for this painting reads:
"The country associated with this painting is Mina Mina, a place far west of Yuendumu, which is significant to Napangardi and Napanangka women, the custodians of the Jukurrpa that created the area. The Jukurrpa story tells of the journey of a group of women of all ages who travelled to the east gathering food, collecting Ngalyipi (Tinospora smilacina or snake vine) and performing ceremonies as they travelled. The women began their journey at Mina Mina where Karla-ngu (digging sticks) emerged from the ground. Taking these implements the women travelled east creating Janyinki and other sites. Their journey took them eventually beyond Warlpiri country. The centre motif in this painting is the Ngalyipi vine, which grows up the trunks of limbs of the Kurrkara (Desert Oak, Allocasuarina decaisneana) trees. Ngalyipi is a vine sacred to Napangardi and Napanangka woman and has many uses, including as a ceremonial wrap, as a strap to carry Parrajas (wooden bowls) laden with bush tucker and as a tourniquet for headaches."
Publications include `Colour Power: Aboriginal Art Post 1994`, published by the National Gallery of Victoria, which features Judy Napangardi Watson's work on the front cover, as shown above.
Sales/information: Artspeak@bigpond.com
Biddy
Napanangka Hutchinson (c.1930s -
c.1998)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Assisted by Judy Napangardi Watson
Title: Karla-ngu Tjukurrpa (Digging Stick Dreaming)
Date: 1995
Size: 171 x 78 cm ( Aprox. 5` 7``x 2` 7``)
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Provenance: Painted at Yuendumu
Artspeak Studio Gallery: # BHN-JWN/Artspeak 9512010
F. Mosmeri and M. J. Sullivan Collection
PRICE: AU$11,000
A few years ago I emailed a photograph of this painting along with the other Biddy Napanangka work below to Cecilia Alfonso, the current manager of Warlukurlongu Aboriginal Artists Assoc., to ask her if she would show the works to Judy Watson Napangardi in order to ask Judy if she played a role in the creation of these works, as it had been common practice for Warlukurlangu`s artists to work together on one painting. The email arrived while Judy was in Cecilia's office and I immediately received word that Judy recognized the paintings and that she did play a role in the making of this art.
This leaves one not quite knowing whether to described these works as collaborative paintings, or assisted works. But after some thought the latter has been chosen on the basis that they originally were purchased as belonging to Biddy and it does not feel right to take anything away from one of Warlukurlongu Artists founding members, who earned the right to be well remembered in a now art industry driven arena that chiefly focuses on living artists, which is understandable, but collectable art is often the subject of artists past, as is the case with this classical work from the mid 1990s that is very different from the art being painted today by the next generation of Yuendumu artists, who can be of interest to new generation collectors depending on their work.
Long term collectors generally have preference for older works with history, which are more rare and naturally more valuable. Taste in art too plays a role, for collecting art is not just about investment, though if one chooses right profit is the bonus as well as status; owning certain works of art give collectors a certain immortality that comes with the immortality of art. In contrast, the bonus for state galleries and museums is the opportunity to have an important work to show to the public, who gains so much from it. We value art, because we need it.
Sales/information: Artspeak@bigpond.com
Biddy
Napanangka Hutchinson (c1930s -
c.1998)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Assisted by Judy Napangardi Watson
Title: Karla-ngu Tjukurrpa (Digging Stick Dreaming)
Date: 1995
Size: 115 x 79 cm ( Aprox. 3` 9``x 2` 7``)
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Provenance: Painted at Yuendumu
This work comes with a COA from Artspeak Studio Gallery: # BHN-JWN/Artspeak 9522010
F. Mosmeri and M. J. Sullivan Collection
PRICE: AU$11,000
It is difficult to know what price to put on `classical works` by principle Warlukurlangu artists, who were the trail blazers for desert art in their region and put their community art centre on the map, because their work was absolutely gorgeous and quite different to Papunya Tula art, which had remained the most sought after art in Australia due to the creative imagination of artists such as Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and his peers. Even so, artists like Biddy Napanangka and Bessie Sims and their female peers and including a small handful of male painters fashioned their art to be different and it was, so like their Papunya Tula rivals, these Warlukurlangu artists of note earned the respect of the Art World with original works such as those shown here at Artspeak, which are dynamic in form and colour and finely dotted .
Today, however, Judy Watson Napangardi has shifted away from dot work to create lines with a brush and as noted in Rosie Flemming's more recent work, lines too have replaced individual dots, though I suspect that in Rosie's case her shift in style has more to do with old age, unless the manager of Warlukurlangu is interfering with Rosie's work, which the manager feels is part of her job to get artists working in a manner that might better suit current tastes in art and therefore result in higher sales. As Cecilia Alfonso (the manager) gave rise to in an article in a UK newspaper; saying that Bessie Nakamarra Sims is stubborn, because she will not follow through with Alfonso's directions. In response to that I say: good on you Bessie!
As for this Biddy Napanangka Hutchinson painting, what needs to be said that it does not say for itself.
Sales/information: Artspeak@bigpond.com
Rosie
Flemming Nangala
Title: Ngapa Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming)
Date: 1995
Size: 129 x 82 cm ( Aprox. 4` 3``x 2` 8``)
Medium: Acrylic on Linen
Provenance: Commissioned by Gondwana Gallery: # 1726
This work comes with a COA from Artspeak Studio Gallery: # RFN/Artspeak 1726
F. Mosmeri and M. J. Sullivan Collection
PRICE: AU$11,000
Today, due to old age, Rosie no longer creates work of this kind, which is another perfect example of Classical Desert Art from the Yuendumu region where she was a co founder of the Warlpiri Women's Museum at Yuendumu in the 1970s.
More information to come.......
Sales/information: Artspeak@bigpond.com
Liddy Napanangka Walker
Brief
Biography
Photograph Copyright: Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association
Title: Ngalyipi Tjukurrpa (Snake Vine Dreaming)
Date: 2005
Size: 122 x 107 cm ( Aprox. 4` x 3` 6``)
Medium: Acrylic on Linen
Provenance: Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association: catalogue # 1929/05
PRICE: SOLD
Far superior than mountains of work in the art market, this painting by one of Yuendumu's principle artists serves as a perfect example of Contemporary Aboriginal Art from the Tanami Desert, because it is without question a masterwork that will complement any public or private Aboriginal Art Collection worldwide.
A far as is known, Liddy is still working, but from what I have seen of her work in more recent times, she, like Rosie Flemming Nangala, is being restricted in her work by old age. Of course, one would need to see all of her more recent work to really know this, but whatever the case, this makes no difference to this remarkable painting.
Sales/information: Artspeak@bigpond.com
Liddy Napanangka Walker
Brief
Biography
Title: Ngalyipi Tjukurrpa (Snake Vine Dreaming)
Date: 2008
Size: 152 x 122 cm ( Aprox. 5` x 4` )
Medium: Acrylic on Linen
Provenance: Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association: catalogue # 09/08
PRICE: SOLD
Like all accomplished artists, Liddy Napanangka Walker has created work ranging from the ordinary to the extraordinary and her two remaining works here at Artspeak make up part of the latter. Quite frankly, they are beautiful and irreplaceable masterworks from the early years of this new millennium.
Sales/information: Artspeak@bigpond.com
Bessie Nakamarra Sims Brief
Biography
Photograph Copyright: Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association
Title: Ngarlajiyi Tjukurrpa
Date: 2006
Size: 183 x 122 cm ( Aprox. 6` x 4` )
Medium: Acrylic on Linen
Provenance: Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association: catalogue # 2340/06
PRICE: SOLD
Sales/information: Artspeak@bigpond.com
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