Bush Medicine Leaves

As the Register at Kate Owen Gallery I take an immense pleasure in receiving and displaying new works from Utopian women Rosemary Petyarre (Pitjara), Gloria Tamerre Petyarre (Pitjara) and Jeannie Petyarre (Pitjara) (Petyarre does not signify a surname, rather a skin group within the Anmatyerre language).

Situated almost three hundred kilometres north–east of Alice Springs (In The Northern Territory) Utopia, a former cattle station, became renowned in the 1970’s for its batik: a skill passed down from a group of women (including Rosemary Petyarre) who had travelled to Indonesia to learn different techniques in textile designs.

Rosemary, Gloria and Jeannie’s artwork all encompass the same theme of the “Bush Medicine Leaves” receiving international and domestic recognition, and exhibiting in collections in France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.  

Yam Seed Dreaming Bush Medicine Leaves Bush Medicine Leaves
Rosemary Petyarre (Pitjara)
Yam Seed Dreaming - RPEG0150
Jeannie Petyarre (Pitjara)
Bush Medicine Leaves - JPEG0200
Gloria Tamerre Petyarre (Pitjara)
Bush Medicine Leaves – GPEG0067


Medicine leaves are traditionally used in the alleviation of skins ailments and it is little wonder that their painted representations have become popular in Western Art Therapy for their calming qualities, and rejuvenating aesthetic. The leaves are traditionally dried on the desert floor, and drank hot in a ceremony overseen by a bush doctor; the artworks encapsulate the process of drying out the leaves, with a repetitive pattern creating an optical allusion: capturing the traditional imagery and symbology of Utopian culture.

These expressive and gestural works invoke a sense of fluidity and energy, brought on through their vibrant colour and lively composition.


Collectors' Gallery Opening

Please join us for a very special occasion!

Next Thursday 13th October, from 6 - 8pm, we will quietly be opening our exciting new indigenous art COLLECTORS' GALLERY. The spacious top floor of 680 Darling St. Rozelle, will be transformed to showcase secondary market fine art by a host of Australia's greatest master artists.

Goanna
Timmy Payungka Japangardi 'Two Goanna' 1995 129 x 181cm Acrylic on Canvas

The Collectors' Gallery will specialise in unique, difficult to obtain, high quality paintings that are significant pieces of Australian Art History, and that any public gallery would be proud to display. By virtue of both cultural and artistic importance, the works could take pride of place in both museums and public galleries anywhere in the world.


Turkey Tolson Jupurulla 'Tingari Songlines' 2000 204 x 123cms Acrylic on Linen

We are excited to offer this relaxed and comfortable environment, where art lovers can not only see and enjoy these increasingly collectible indigenous art works, but where unlike public galleries with similar offerings, they can actually acquire one as well!


Clifford Possum Japaltjarri 'Two Jungala at Warlukalona' 1999 143 x 173cms Acrylic on Linen

We do hope you and your friends will join us on Thursday to celebrate the beginning of our exciting new venture.

Please rsvp to info@kateowengallery.com 
 
Passionately celebrating aboriginal art,
Kate and the team.

 


Watarru Community Collaborative

This one's been a long time coming... this amazing Watarru Community Collaborative is one of the few works that regularly gets pulled out for visitors to the gallery and when it does it often gets left out as everyone who walks by is drawn to it.  The work uses the unique combination of a typical white man's geographical expression of a landscape and an aboriginal perspective in which we delve into legendary images and stories.

This collaborative artwork includes the following female artists:

Katrina Pollard Nampitjinpa - granddaughter of Telstra winner, Ngoia Pollard

Bronwyn Jimmy - daughter of Wipana Jimmy

Tinpulya Mervin - community leader and artistic leader for this work

Wipana Jimmy - community leader, key driver of the establishment of Watarru community in the mid 1980s and cousin of Jimmy Baker

Anne Dixon Nangala - daughter of Wipana Jimmy

Imitjana Pollard - daughter of Ngoia Pollard

Watarru Community Collaborative   Jimmy's Country   200 x 248 cm   $19,775 - WCCG0002


Interior Design with Tim Leveson Interiors (TLI)

“Recently Kate Owen Gallery teamed up with Tim Leveson Interiors (TLI) for a Real Living Magazine photo shoot for their October issue.

Tim Leveson Interiors is a boutique Sydney-based business with a small team of designers and stylists dedicated to their mission statement 'Make Space Work'.

In preparation for the shoot, we selected eight works which we thought might be suitable. On the morning of the shoot we pulled up to the beautifully renovated Federation home of Tim and his partner, Libby Knott with a van full of stunning paintings that were then transported around various rooms to find the perfect fit.

Eventually we all settled on an amazing Walangkura Napanangka that became the centre piece for the master bedroom. The resulting images were fantastic and everyone was thrilled with the result.”