SURVEY
AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS ART IN AMERICA 2010-2015
Cover: Nyararpayi Giles, Tjarliri Catalog #14-320 This page: Photo by Sunset view across mountain range near Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory
The grind of the rock to create the ocher is a constant background sound that underlines the extensive labor and cultural dedication Yolngu artists have to their paintings. Over the days a pattern that began in one corner of an artist’s board slowly bleeds across the surface to expose a sacred body of water or a coastline owned and celebrated by generation after generation of their people. These patterns are cornerstones of remarkable compositions that reflect a true conviction of profound beauty and cultural meaning. (Kade McDonald, Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Center Art Co-ordintor, 2015) Australian Indigenous Art Centers: Represented Northern Territory Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Center Jilamara Artists Ngurratjuta Iltja Ntjarra / Many Hands Art Center South Australia Ernabella Artists Mimili Maku Artists Ninuku Artists Western Australia Bidyadanga Artists Martumili Artists Papunya Tula Artists Spinifex Arts Project Tjarlirli Artists Warakurna Artists Warmun Art
SURVEY: Australian Indigenous Art in America 2010 - 2015 This Summer Harvey Art Projects presents a small milestone with an exhibition to celebrate the Australian gallery’s 5th anniversary since opening its doors in Sun Valley in 2010. In what began as a temporary pop-up space for a 3 month exhibit, Director and Curator Julie Harvey quickly realized she could ‘not shut the door’ - the response to the first exhibit by Papunya Tula Artists was overwhelmingly positive. In a small mountain town in the pacific northwest of the United States - thousands of miles from Australia’s outback - an unexpected connection had begun to take root. Paintings immersed in ancestral story, cultural knowledge and connection to country began to find an unexpected synergy with audiences in the equally profound landscapes of Idaho. The gallery has since showcased over 40 exhibits not just in Sun Valley but further afield in New York, Seattle, San Francisco and most recently Aspen, Colorado. Each exhibition has been carefully curated by Director Julie Harvey in conjunction with the Indigenous Australian art centers - a process that involves many years in planning and many trips ‘out bush’ in Australia. Harvey’s regular visits to Australia often involve long road trips and painting camps with artists across vast areas of Western Australia, Northern Territory and South Australia. This regular contact with artists and their communities are as Harvey says “the most rewarding part of my role, visiting the heart of country and spending time with artists is at its essence a transformative experience”. Education has and continues to be at the forefront with the gallery hosting regular artist visits to Sun Valley along with free public lectures, floor talks and film screenings to raise awareness. As the only international gallery in the USA working directly with Australia’s leading Indigenous art centers, Harvey Art Projects has become a unique presence in America and a vital component to the local art scene. Aboriginal art is Australia’s leading contemporary art movement yet it’s origins are derived from the oldest continuous artistic tradition know to man. From its humble origins in the early 1970’s, aboriginal art became an important political and cultural act for many Indigenous Australians. Now forty years on it is not only taking its rightful place amongst the great art movements of the 20th Century, but it is also broadening contemporary art perspectives. Through this exhibition, Harvey Art Projects shows us the enduring power and remarkable achievements of Indigenous Australia. We gratefully acknowledge the participation and ongoing support from our friends and colleagues at the Australian art centers. We are honored to represent these extraordinary artists who continue to expand our vision of what contemporary art making is and can be.
NInuku artist Sandy Brumby (image courtesy Ninuku Arts 2012)
MABEL JULI ‘Wiringgoon’ natural ocher on canvas 72” x 44” (180 x 120cm) Warmun Catalog #231-15
JIMMY DONNEGAN ‘Pukara’ acrylic on belgian linen 42” x 36” (107 X 91 cm) Ninuku Catalog #14-153
GEORGE TJUNGURRAYI ‘Untitled’ acrylic on Belgian linen 42” x 36” (107 x 91cm) Papunya Catalog #GT1110106
ESTHER GILES ‘Untitled’ acrylic on Belgian linen 72” x 32” (183 x 153cm) Tjarlirli Catalog #4431I
ROY UNDERWOOD ‘Ilbili, Tipirlga & Baltjimarta’ acrylic on Belgian linen 53” x 61”(157 x 134 cm) Spinifex Catalog #c985
BETTY PUMANI ‘Unttiled’ acrylic on Belgian linen 72” x 72” (183 x 183 cm) Mimili Maku Catalog #581-10
NYARAPAYI GILES ‘Warmurrungu’ acrylic on Belgian linen 34” x 46” (119 x 89 cm) Tjarlirli Catalog #12-261
TIMOTHY COOK ‘Kulama’ natural earth pigments on linen 35” x 47” (120 x 90 cm) Jilamara Catalog #484-10
Jakayu Biljabu & Ngamaru Bidu ‘Wantili’ acrylic on Belgian linen 72” x 72” (183 x 183 cm) Martumili Catalog #13-1013
LYDIA BALBAL ‘Untitled’ acrylic on Belgian linen 48” x 48” (122 x 122 cm) Bidyadanga Catalog #28366
On view Aug - Sep 2015 Sun Valley, USA 391 First Avenue North Ketchum, ID 83340 USA info@harveyartprojects.com | Phone (208) 309-8676 Copyright 2015 Harvey Art Projects USA,
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