On display in the charcoal gallery. Can't visit the gallery? View our online exhibition here.

 
click on image above to view the exhibition catalogue

Polly Ngale is one of the most senior custodians of her country Ahalpere, in the heart of Utopia, located in the north west corner of the Simpson desert and roughly 350km north east of Alice Springs, along the Sandover Highway.

Polly in considered one of the most accomplished painters from the Utopia region and is inspired by the Arnwetky (conkerberry) – a green tangled, spiny shrub that produces fragrant white flowers. After the summer rains tiny green berries begin to grow and ripen, changing colour over the weeks from light green to pinks and browns to yellow, to shades of red and purple when they finally ripen. The fruits very much resemble a plum and is often referred to in English by Polly as a ‘bush plum’. The Arnwetky is a popular variety of bush tucker for the people of Utopia, as well as possessing medicinal properties.

During the Dreamtime, winds came from all directions, carrying the Arnwetky seed all over Polly’s ancestors’ Anmatyerre land. To ensure the continued fruiting of the Arnwetky, the Anmatyerre people pay homage to the spirit of the bush plum by recreating it in their ceremonies through song and dance, and in recent years, through painting. The patterns in the paintings can represent the fruit of the plant, its leaves and flowers, and also the body paint designs that are associated with it during ceremony.

For Anmatyerre women, the bush plum is a source of physical and spiritual sustenance - reminding them of the sacredness of Ahalpere country. Its story is crucial to Anmatyerre women's ceremonies.

Polly’s depictions of Arnwetky are the accumulation of a lifetime's knowledge about the country that she loves and feels a personal responsibility to care for. The power of the art resonates across geographical, botanical and spiritual dimensions.

In recent years, Polly has undergone a renaissance in her work - by all accounts producing some of the finest paintings of her career to date.

Kate Owen Gallery is delighted to present Polly Ngale’s new body of work, which showcases her exuberant and masterful depiction of Arnwetky .

Read More:

Polly Ngale's Bush Plum

Welcome to our second exhibition in the ‘defining tradition’ exhibition series. In this show, we’re celebrating the trailblazing artists who pursued an adventurous use of colour. 

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article | related videos | exhibition catalogue | online exhibition

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Our inaugural ‘defining tradition’ exhibition in January, titled ‘the first wave & its disciples’, focused on the genesis of the western desert art movement at Papunya in 1971, when senior men essentially invented a new art form. We presented artists that have remained the faithful disciples of the muted colour palettes and powerful expression of Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) as first set down by those pioneers of western desert art. 

For many visitors to the gallery, the natural ochre pigments on display are what they had considered ‘traditional’ or the quintessential colours of Aboriginal art. Our second exhibition, ‘the colourists’, unveils that in experimenting with acrylics in Papunya in the 1970s, another great tradition was ignited - the use of bright colour.

As we completed hanging ‘the colourists’ exhibition, we couldn’t help but feel that the space was brighter, lighter and felt more uplifting. Our eyes were dancing around the space as we followed the sensuous pinks and reds found in Tommy Watson’s artworks, travelled across the dynamic lines of colour in Judy Watson Napangardi’s work, and felt the raw power in Lorna Fencer’s ‘Warna (Snake)’.

Before we delve deeper and discuss some of the fantastic artworks on display, we need to take a moment and debunk the notion that there’s none of this vibrant colour occurring naturally in the Australian landscape; that these artworks are somehow not an accurate or ‘authentic’ depiction of the Australian landscape. As I leave the urban jungle of Sydney - with its hazy air and restricted colour palette - and head to the ‘red centre’ of Alice Springs, the difference in colour is immense. The clean air, the bright Australian light and sensational contrasting colours sends my colour perception off the scale and everything is more intense. The mineral rich earth and stone also reflects a multitude of colours - making sunrise and sunset an incredibly magical time of the day. Everything does just seem more rich and vibrant in this special part of the world, with many landscape photographers commenting they have rarely seen the intensity of natural colour as found in our own backyard.

And then there is that magical time of the year, when for a few weeks the desert is blanketed with wildflowers. As far as the eye can see, there are vibrant splashes of blue, purple, yellow, along with more subtle pastel hues. It can be argued that many of the artists represented in this show are simply painting with colours they have experienced on Country. For me, this is perfectly typified by Polly Ngale’s gorgeous piece titled ‘Bush Plum’. Polly Ngale belongs to the oldest living generation of Utopia women and is considered one of the most accomplished painters to have worked there during the past twenty years. Polly’s artistic career began in the late 1970s when she, like many of the women in Utopia, began working with silk batik before venturing into works on canvas[1].

 

Most of Polly Ngale's paintings are centred around the 'Bush Plum'(or Conkerberry tree) and range from extremely fine dotting techniques with either interspersed colours or areas of varying colours and depth all blending together across the canvas. Through extensive over-dotting, she builds up layers of colour, blending or separate, to give a wealth of different and very attractive paint effects.

The Bush Plum - which is central to many of the works of artists’ of the Utopia community - provides an important food source for the Anmatyerre people and is frequently featured in the Women's dreaming stories. The fruits are harvested by shaking the trees until they fall to the ground but the fruits, although already quite sweet, need to be soaked in water to soften and plump them up for eating. The Bush Plum tree flowers in Spring and many of Polly's paintings have a distinctly Springtime air to them - one can readily sense a host of blossoms in her works.

Alternatively, some artists have used an adventurous colour palette to capture the energy or emotion of a site or Tjukurrpa (Dreaming). Lockhart River artist Samantha Hobson has an incredible ability to capture the colour and intensity of a moment and transform its radiant energy into an emotional charge pulsating through the artwork. Her Great Barrier Reef Series captures the jewel like quality of this pristine natural wonder, with bold splashes of paint conjuring those twinkling seconds a wave breaks. Her Series leaves the viewer feeling energised, much like a dip in the fresh saltwater.  Art historian Sally Butler perfectly explains Samantha Hobson’s work as “close to abstract expressionism, but there is always something that keeps it in touch with visible reality. This is because her art is about seeing the world, not a way of imagining it”. 

 

Another fantastic example of colour being used to express an emotion is Betty Mbitjana’s ‘Awelye’ - in this artwork Betty depicts the designs that the women would paint on their bodies, and the dancing tracks which are made in the sand during the women's awelye ceremony. Betty has chosen an array of bright, bold colours.  For me, this is the happiest artwork of the entire exhibition. If feels as if Betty is expressing the joy and celebration that occurs during the awelye ceremony. Betty’s artworks have a fantastic sense of greeting, and have a very uplifting effect in any area where they hang.

Another interesting item to consider when viewing ‘the colourists’ exhibition is how the artist has applied colour to the canvas. It is well known that the late Kudditji Kngwarreye would sing while he painted, as if to infuse the paint with his songlines and stories of Country. In the case of Judy Watson Napangardi, her brush was loaded with original and vital colour which she shuffled across the canvas, never losing connection between the brush and canvas. Interestingly, it is said that the ancestral women danced across country, and Warlpiri women of today channel their ancestors when they dance in ceremony, shuffling through the sand, never losing connection to Country. The method in which the paint has been applied could also imply a deep, ancient tradition. 

 

Judy Watson Napangardi was one of the trailblazing artists at Yuendumu, who cemented Warlukurlangu Art Centre’s reputation for their bold use of colour through an unrestricted palette[2]. Another early distinctive feature was the use of very traditional iconography. As explained by Warlukurlangu Art Centre, “the artists painted Jukurrpa (dreaming story), ensuring appropriate Warlpiri relationships of kirda (owners) and kurdugurlu (guardians) were followed and the images reflected the social and cultural obligations present in ceremonies and day-to-day life in the community. The kurawarri, the iconographic elements of a painting that held the story, were painted first and scrutinized by others for their adherence to Jukurrpa. The dotting that filled the canvases was less important, and many artists developed varying styles of application and experimented with different colours while maintaining a consistency in their presentation of kuruwarri”.

Nowadays, the paintings tell the story of the artists’ connection to their country, the features of the landscape, the plants and animals that are found there and the creation story that occurred in the Dreamtime. These stories are still very relevant to the artists today. Artists have their own particular styles or palettes, and constantly experiment and vary their paintings, so the works are constantly evolving.

As I walk through ‘the colourists’ exhibition, I also love how the art captures a sense of the artists personality - none more so than the incomparable Lorna Fencer Napurrula. We have created our own Lorna Fencer Photo Page to give you some insight into the persona of the artist and I think help to put her bold and uncompromising artwork into context.

Whilst many of the trailblazing artists featured in the show are no longer with us, it is heartening to see the next generation taking up the brush. In this exhibition alone we have artworks by the great Minnie Pwerle, her daughters Betty Mbitjana and Barbara Weir, and granddaughter Charmaine Pwerle (Barbara Weir’s daughter).

Coming away from ‘defining tradition | the colourist’ exhibition, I realise that no artist can work in a vacuum. We are all influenced by what we see around us. Painters are influenced by what other painters did before them. The colours we see and use, the effects in nature we try to convey, the things which inspire us and make us want to paint; all these reactions are conditioned by the traditions we respect and the influences and conventions we absorb - many of them unconsciously.

I encourage you all to see this monumental display of artworks and get some colour into your life!

 Related Videos

 

Say sayonara scented candle! It’s time to think outside the gift box and give the unique gift of art this festive season!

Here at the gallery we all too often see visitors who want to give the gift of art for their loved ones, but get themselves into a state of exasperation trying to decide which artwork would be right. So, to help you out this festive season, we’ve created a ‘gift guide’ where we’ve listed some fabulous Aboriginal artists, and the personality types we see going gaga for their work.

Of course this is just a suggestion; nobody knows your friends and family better than you do, so be brave and confident in your decisions!  And don’t forget – here at Kate Owen Gallery we are very understanding if an artwork was purchased as a gift and may not be quite right. Our Art Consultants are always here to help so please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Ready to start your Xmas shopping? Let’s go!

 

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The Logical Sort

A good way to tell if someone would fit in to this category would be to ask yourself:

How would they respond to the blobs of paint in this artwork:

 

• a)            Argh! Fix it!
• b)            No- that’s just the quality of the work

If they would respond with something along the lines of A) then it is best to go for an aritist that has precise dot work or a systematic composition. Artists that instantly come to mind are Walala and Thomas Tjapaltjarri. These are highly regarded artists that we featured this year in our ‘Three Brothers’ exhibition. Geometric shapes and a carefully applied dot work give these artworks a powerful ‘Shimmering’ quality synonymous with depictions of the Tingari Cycle. These artworks are a great ‘go-to’ if you are purchasing for a man, as these artworks depict secret sacred men’s business, so there’s a great connection and story to share as you gift the artwork. 

Two other trailblazing artists who are soaring to dizzying heights are the King Sisters. Back in 2009, Kate Owen Gallery was proud to present the 3 Kings exhibition, where Sarrita and Tarisse King paid homage to their father, the highly respected artist and elder, William King Jungala (1966 – 2007). Back then, the sisters wove their own styles with that of their father and produced fascinating interplays of colour, design, heritage and spirit.  While still at the early stages of their careers, we could tell that Sarrita and Tarisse were set to become big names in the Aboriginal Art world.

Flash forward nine years, and the King Sisters have cemented themselves as the exciting next generation of Aboriginal artists. Still honouring their father’s stories, the sisters have matured and developed their own unique style which has seen them displayed in galleries throughout Australia and around the world. Their works are vibrant, striking and contemporary. The sisters employ a diversity of styles and colour palettes which make them perfect artists to explore as gift options.

View Sarrita Kings artworks

View Tarisse Kings artworks

Whilst these “giftees” will simply not appreciate the loose, wild, and gestural nature of a Polly Ngale Bush Plum or a Gloria Petyarre Bush Medicine piece, but a good alternative is a Jeannie Petyarre Bush Medicine piece. It may come as a surprise, but we find the focal point in Jeannie’s art makes all the difference for these logical folks – it provides an opportunity to enter the artwork and be taken on a journey through the flowing bush work.

We would also recommend heading to our Art Search Page. On the bar to the left try searching for ‘Style: Dots – Fine’ or ‘Style: Dots – Medium’ as we do find these types of art lovers appreciate the time and effort to create such a piece.

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Loose, Wild, Gestural

Have you heard your friend ever mention that they love Monet’s water lilies? Or do you notice they lean towards more organic shapes? Then we’d recommend exploring the beautiful bush plum and bush medicine leaf paintings made famous by the artists of Utopia. These artworks are produced using acrylic paints loaded onto a single brush and then applied or ‘pushed’ vigorously into the canvas, linen or board in such a way that the paint is mixed in the resultant mark on the canvas. These artworks may appear more abstract, but they are deeply grounded in Awelye.

Another artist who depicts Awelye is Charmaine Pwerle. Charmaine’s lines are bold and sure, echoing those of her grandmother Minnie Pwerle, but with the assurance of a much more practised artist than her years or experience would suggest. The brushwork in her body designs, Awelye, has all the characteristics of this family dreaming, but Charmaine lends her own distinct creative flair, pattern and movement to the canvas. We held an exhibition earlier this year showcasing her incredible talent titled Charmaine Pwerle – New Traditions.

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Naïve Art

I have to look inwards to describe this personality – as I absolutely LOVE this style of art !

I think it’s fair to say we are a quirky bunch – if you were drawn to Courtney’s styling on the recent TV series of Channel Nine’s The Block (the more lamas the better!) then I think it’s safe to say this is your squad. Perhaps you’ve admired the Tjanpi Desert weavers  or the soft sculptures of Yarrenyty Arltere Artists? To you – figurative art that’s a little off beat is fine, because it’s bursting with personality.

There may be simplicity of form in Karen Napaltjarri Barns and Trevor ‘Turbo’ Brown's art, but there is an incredible energy in the dynamic composition, colour and line.

What makes naïve Indigenous Australia art so fascinating is that certain artists, such as Linda Syddick and Jack Dale, have used this style to depict the changes in Aboriginal life, their interface with the 'whitefella' ways, and their experience through this period of seismic change.  If you have an interest in history, these artworks represent a fascinating first-hand account of important moments in our nation’s history.

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Kudditji

When it comes to this artist, it’s quite clear – you either love his work, or you don’t. And that’s fine. All we say is – we’ve had visitors to our gallery who never considered his work and left the gallery converted. What amazes us about Kudditji Kngwarreye’s artworks is that we never tire of them, as they are always revealing themselves. The light at different times of the day emphasise certain colours in his work which is just magical. Each artwork also has quite a unique ‘feel’ and can completely change the atmosphere of a room. Take for example the images below. It’s the same space, the artworks are the same size, but the artwork selection has completely changed the feel of the room.

 

This artwork brings a beautiful warmth to the room and is very grounding.

 

Whereas this artwork is very uplifting and keep as cooler tone to the room.

Both look fabulous, but it is really a personal preference what mood you want your home to have. When it comes to giving the gift of a Kudditji, make sure you have a clear understanding of your loved ones home décor, so you can select the right piece that will match the mood.

Check Out our 'See Art on Wall' feature!

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Family and Friends visiting from overseas 

Why not give them a piece of Australia to take home with them? We find that most international clients love a conversation piece – something that they can proudly hang on their wall and share their stories of their time in Australia, and impart some interesting information about the world’s oldest living culture.

Kathleen Buzzacott and Selma Coulthard are brilliant choices. Their work depicts the features of the land and the native fauna in incredible detail. Peter Overs is also a popular choice due to its universal appeal and neutral colour palette.

The artists of Yuendumu are also an excellent choice as they come with a certificate of authenticity from Warlukurlangu Art Centre which explains the artwork story in great detail. Head over to our Art Search Page and in region select ‘Yuendumu’ – you will be spoilt for choice!

If your international family and friends have to catch a plane home, you may have to consider size as well – we have a huge range of artworks that can safely be rolled in a tube and taken as hand luggage.

 

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If all of this information has just made you even more confused – well, why not give your loved ones a gift voucher, or create a gift registry page where multiple people can make a contribution. Then your loved ones can use all of our gallery services to help pick the perfect piece for their home.

As we mentioned at the beginning of this blog post – these are all just our suggestions and nobody knows your friends and family better than you do, so be brave. Your loved ones will probably be very touched you thought of such a unique gift for them that truly will last the test of time.     

We just got back from Alice Springs and had an intense but fabulous week!

We attended the exquisite Desert Mob exhibition at the Araluen Centre and have worked on sourcing new artists, and talking with some new (for us) Community Art Centres.

Some of the works we selected in Darwin and Alice Springs have arrived and will soon be posted on our website. There are some true gems that we can’t wait to show you.

We also met with lots of our artists including our old friend Kudditji Kngwarreye who is still painting some wonderful art, and catching up talented emerging artist Gracie Ward who was painting alongside her parents George Ward Tjungarrayi and Nungawarra Ward. It was really special to see the family working together, but each with their own distinctive style. Gracie’s works have gone from strength to strength over the past year and as her confidence has grown, her paintings have truly blossomed. More about her later.

What made this trip even more special was seeing the Todd River flowing- yes, not just a trickle - and the flowers blossoming in the bush. This truly inspired us to select some outstanding wildflower works for our ‘SPRING COLLECTION’ exhibition of works by sisters Kathleen Ngale and Polly Ngale together with Polly’s daughter Bessie Petyarre.

Stay tuned for more info!