Page 75 - Annual Review 2010

ReVeAL 75
aurukun artists | Ku’ [Camp Dogs] (installation view) 2009–10 |
acrylic paint, natural pigments and charcoal with acrylic binder on
milkwood (Alstonia muellerana) | purchased 2010 with funds from
the Josephine ulrick and win schubert diversity foundation through
the queensland art gallery foundation | collection: queensland
art gallery
indigenous australian art
girringun artists
Bagu and Jiman (Firestick
figures and firesticks) 2009–10
for indigenous australians in the
far-north queensland rainforest,
fire was vital to daily life. wooden
bagu (firestick figures) and jiman
(firesticks) (see p.61) were carried
from site to site as people moved
camp seasonally, and the designated
‘keeper’ was under immense pressure
to maintain a flame, especially in wet
weather when dry tinder was scarce.
in a contemporary interpretation of
these objects, a group of indigenous
artists working together at girringun
art centre used fired clay with ochre
patterning, native guava wood and
string to create a group of firestick
figures. these experimental clay
versions were purchased for the
collection with funds from the
xstrata community partnership
program queensland.
over the past year, important acquisitions in the
three principal portfolios of australian art have
advanced major collection directions.
australian acquisitions
aurukun artists
Ku (Camp Dogs) 2009–10
artists from aurukun, on western
cape york, have long been known
for their wooden sculptures, which
are often reproductions of religious
sculptures belonging to one of
aurukun’s five local clans. these
sculptures have included monumental
‘law poles’, used in important
ceremonies, while others take an
innovative and quirky look at the
contemporary culture of
the community.
a group of camp dog sculptures
titled Ku’ [Camp dogs] 2009–10 was
produced over an extended period
by artists at the wik and kugu art
centre in aurukun for the 2010 cairns
indigenous art fair, where they were
the stars of the show. unlike law poles
and other sacred items, camp dogs
generally belong to everyone, which
allowed members of each aurukun clan
to collaborate on this large-scale project.
these splendid sculptures were
purchased for the collection with
funds from the Josephine ulrick and
win schubert diversity foundation,
through the queensland art gallery
foundation.
nancy nyanjilpayi chapman,
may maywokka chapman,
mulyatingki marney and
marjorie malatu yates
Mukurtu 2010
Mukurtu 2010 (see p.91), a
collaborative work by four sisters
nancy nyanjilpayi chapman, may
maywokka chapman, mulyatingki
marney and marjorie malatu yates
reflects the artists’ profound affection
and respect for the salt lake and
its fresh water sources that have
sustained them and their families
for generations. though four artists
have worked together in painting
Mukurtu it is a remarkably cohesive
work, reflecting the siblings’ spiritual
connection and their
shared histories.
it is intensively worked in a closely-
dotted style, taking several weeks
to complete. central to the work is
the brilliant yves klein blue form
depicting the life-giving fresh water
spring, surrounded by green water
weeds. a pale, closely-dotted border
covers a prior layer of bolder colours,
now feathering towards the
painting’s edges.
this work was purchased with funds
from professor John hay, ac, and mrs
barbara hay through the queensland
art gallery foundation.