Art at Paradise Bay

The owner of Paradise Bay is a keen art collector and enthusiastically displays some of his collection in the beach bungalows, gazebo and other public areas of the Eco-Lodge.

The collection focuses around key indigenous painters who are amongst the “50 Most Collectable Australian Artists” and up and coming young Australians making a name for themselves in the art world.

Wherever possible all paintings are purchased direct from the artist or reputable galleries using the ethics of the Art Trade Code of Ethics or the new Australian Indigenous art Commercial Code of Conduct (when it is finalized in late 2007). 

Aboriginal art is significant in many ways: as an expression of Aboriginal culture, as a source of income for artists and communities and as a source of pleasure for viewers and buyers.

Here is a small selection of the artwork you can view at Paradise Bay…

“Man’s Dreaming” – Long Jack Phillipus Tjakamarra

Acrylic on linen c.2007

Long Jack Painting “Man’s Dreaming”

Jack Phillipus  Born c.1932 at Kalimpinpa, an important Rain Dreaming site north-east of Kintore.   His father, who was Warlpiri, came from Parikurlangu to the north of Kalimpinpa and his mother, who was of mixed Warlpiri/Luritja descent, also came from Kalimpinpa.

Long Jack grew up in the bush west of Mt Farewell and came into Haasts Bluff settlement with his whole family as a teenager. He worked at Haasts Bluffas a timber contractor and stockman and married  Georgette Napaltjarri. They have two sons, three daughters and many grandchildren.

Long Jack has been part of the Papunya painting movement since the beginning of the '70s when he was a Councillor at Papunya. It was Long Jack, together with Billy STOCKMAN, who was also a school yardman at the time, who offered their help with painting the smaller murals around the Papunya school, which preceded the large Honey Ant mural.

Long Jack has painted intermittently since those times, taking out the NT GoldenJubilee Art Award in 1983 and the Alice Springs Art Prize in 1984.

In 1984 he was ordained as a Lutheran pastor. Of the Warlpiri/Luritja language group, Long Jack's paintings depict Hare, Wallaby, Kingfisher, Dingo and other Dreamings in the Mt Singleton area.

He lives in Papunya and remains close to his 'brother', Michael NELSON, with whom his family camped  Haasts Bluff in the early years before the Papunya settlement. His younger sister, Pauline WOODS, is a well-known Western Desert artist currently working out of Alice Springs. Collections: Holmes a Court, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of WA, Art Gallery of SA, Art Gallery of NSW, University of WA Anthropology Museum, Museums & Art Galleries of NT.

“Mountain Devil Lizard Dreaming” – Gloria Petyarre

Acrylic on linen c.2006

Mountain Devil Lizard Dreaming

Gloria was born around 1945 in her country of Atnangkere. She lived in the traditional ways before moving to one of the established settlements, Utopia. The Utopia Pastoral Lease was drawn up in 1927 and forced many of the Aboriginal people in this area out of their traditional lands. In 1977 the people of Utopia gained a 99 year leasehold on the Utopia Pastoral Lease which was purchased through the Aboriginal Land Fund Council. The commission employed a white manager during the first year to provide a transition for the cattle operation. This proved unsatisfactory and the community began to discuss moving back to their traditional lands.

All this change in 1977, with the beginnings of the Batik program, which excelled providing the town of Utopia with an income and a claim of recognition.

Gloria was one of the original artist employed in this program. The batik program was a major success, with Gloria being one of the leading artists in this format. Her work gained rapid recognition and was seen by Rodney Gooch from CAAMA. He approached the Utopia artists with a plan called 'A Summer Project'. The idea was simple, supply the women and men with canvas and acrylics and have them use their techniques on Batik in the new format. The project was a major success, with Gloria and many other artist moving full time into acrylic on canvas.

Gloria paints the traditional women business subjects, which are predominant in Utopia. The store of white understanding is heavily influenced by the sex of the contact. In Papunya the contact was Geoffrey Bardon, therefore most of the original artist were male. In Utopia the arts advisor was female, allowing the female artists of this area to flourish.

The leading artists quickly mastered the manipulative possibilities. Not only did a huge range of colors emerge, but a far greater tonal range than they were able to achieve with batiks. Gloria stands out here, with her work she uses close tonal values of different colors, creating a dynamic optical intensity. Her work features powerful structural linear patterns derived from body painting, outlined with single dots. At other times the structural pattern becomes submerged in a sea of dots, the tonal relationships causing the structural pattern to dissolve into the base design of her painting.

She continues to develop her paintings to higher levels of abstraction, continually experimenting with line and color. She says she prefers the greater freedom and control she finds with the medium of acrylic on canvas. several of her works now have no dots at all, but bands of different color whose optical effects have evoked comparison to the British artist Bridget Riley.

Her main Dreamings that she paints are the Mountain Devil Lizard, Bean, Emu, Pencil Yam, Grass Seed and Small Brown Grass and well as the traditional body paint designs worn by women.

In 1990 she traveled to Ireland, London and India as a representative of the Utopia Women in the 'Utopia - A picture Story' exhibition. (Tandanya, Adelaide, The Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin Ireland and the Meat Market Gallery in Melbourne.)

In 1991 she had her first solo exhibition at Utopia Art in Sydney. Since then she has exhibited at the National Gallery in Canberra, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jinta Desert Art in Sydney and the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.

She is also featured extensively in major collections around the world. The National Gallery of Australia, the Robert Holmes a' Court Collection, Museum of Victoria and the Powerhouse Museum.

Evelyn Pultara

Evelyn Pultara was born circa 1940 at Woodgreen Station, near Utopia, north east of Alice Springs, Northern Territory. She is a traditional Anmetyarre woman and the sister of Greenie Petyarre, famous Utopian artist, and niece of the late Emily Kame Kngwarrye. She is also the mother of six children, living in the township of Wilora, Northern Territory, 200km north of Alice Springs.

Evelyn's totem is the Bush Yam (Antwelarr), which has always been an abundant food and water source to the Anmetyarre people. She pays homage to her totem through song, dance and now in art.

Evelyn commenced painting in 1997 and is now one of the most exciting emerging artists from Central Australia. Evelyn's paintings are vibrant depictions inspired by the stories and songs of the harsh desert landscape.

In 2005 Evelyn was the winner of the general painting division of the Telstra, 22nd National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Award, Darwin, NT. She is now a highly sought after artist.

Watiya Tjuta-Pulli - Mitjili Napurrula

Acrylic on Linen c.2007

Watiya Tjuta-Pulli

Untitled - Walangkura Napanangka

Acrylic on linen c.2006

Walangkura Napanangka was born in 1946 at Tjiturulnga, west of Walungurru (Kintore) in the far west of the Northern Territory.

Her parents were Inyuwa Nampitjinpa and Tutuma Tjapangati, who were also artists. Her sister Pirrmangka Napanangka (now deceased) was also a well known artist.
Her family was among a group of Pintupi people who made their way to the Ikuntji settlement (Haasts Bluff) in 1956. They walked hundreds of kilometres from west of the salt lake of Karrkurutinjinya (Lake Macdonald) to gain access to the food and water at the settlement. The family returned to their home country community of Walungurru (Kintore) in 1981.

Walangkura began her artistic career in 1995 by participating in the collaborative canvas project 'Minyma Tjukurrpa' between the Kintore and Haasts Bluff communities. She subsequently joined and began painting with Papunya Tula Artists in 1996.

She now lives at Kiwirkurra with her husband and fellow artist Johnny Yungut Tjupurrula.

Walangkura has exhibited extensively, including in the landmark show "Papunya Tula: Genesis and Genius" held in 2000 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.

Her work is represented in the collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Australia, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Artbank and The Kelton Foundation.

Bush Plum - Gracie Morton Pwerle

c. 2006

Bush Plum

Born: c.1956
Region: Utopia, (Eastern Desert)
Language Group: Alyawarre

Gracie Morton Pwerle began her career as an batik artist in the 1970's with the Utopia Women's Batik Group before transferring her designs onto canvas in the late 1980's. In the works of Gracie Pwerle Morton one can readily see that the great strength and dynamism of the Utopian women artists that continues across the generations. Gracie's delicate dotting and colour variation uses an aerial perspective to portray the seasonal changes of the Amwekety - the Bush Plum, a plant of great significance to the women of Gracie's traditional country, Mosquito Bore.

The finesse of Gracie's style creates a wonderful lyricism in her works. An Alyawarre woman from Utopia Station, approximately 250km north-east of Alice Springs, Gracie's works are represented in major private collections such as The Robert Holmes a Court Collection in Western Australia. She exhibits regularly in Australia, more recently in a solo show titled 'Mosquito Bore - The Art of the Minimalist' at Ancient Earth Indigenous Art Gallery in Cairns and in a group exhibition at the Alliance Francaise de Canberra and French Embassy in Canberra.

The delightfully subtle paintings of the Amwekety - the Bush Plum, depict the changing seasonal influences on a plant that is of the greatest significance to the Alyawrre women of the Eastern Desert region of the Northern Territory.

Gracie Morton Pwerle is one of the senior traditional custodian for both the Altyerre (Dreaming) and the vast expanse ofrelatedcountry, some 263kms north of Alice Springs, Australia. In accordance to traditional law the responsibility for the Bush Plum Dreaming has been passed down to Gracie from her father and her aunt, who are responsible for ensuring that she perseveres its traditions.

The Bush Plum is a highly nutritious small fruit with black seeds, rich in vitamin C, that can be eaten raw or cooked. Growing in a great profusion of flower and fruit throughout the winter months, the women, accompanied by the children collect the Bush Plums, while at the same time reconfirming their connection to the land.

The flourish of colour that distinguishes the Bush Plum after the fall of rain, is quickly transformed with the long hot summer months. Dried and separated, the seed and husk are scatter over the vast sunbaked landscape by the hot summer winds.

The incredible finesse of Gracie’s style creates a wonderful lyricism in her works, causing a three-dimensionality that pulls at the eye guiding the viewer through the soft, outward-reaching fields of colour, while simultaneously transfixing one in its undulations.

If you want further information about out art collection please feel free to contact us at info@paradisebay.com.au

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