Tommy May - On Tin Brochure

N G A R R A L J A TO M M Y M AY - O N T I N RAFT SOUTH. DECEMBER 9 2016 - JANUARY 7 2017

‘WURNA JUWAL’. 120/16. Acrylic on enamel on tin. 80 x 60cm. 2016.

N G A R R A L J A TO M M Y M AY i s a s e n i o r Wa l m a j a r r i m a n a n d l e a d e r o f t h e F i t z r oy Va l l ey r e g i o n . A r e n ow n e d a r t i s t , f o r m e r s t o c k m a n , f o u n d i n g m e m b e r a n d s e n i o r a dv i s o r t o M a n g k a j a A r t s . M r M ay w a s b o r n i n t h e G r e a t S a n dy D e s e r t , gr ow i n g u p i n t r a d i t i o n a l w ay s b e f o r e m i gr a t i n g t o t h e c a t t l e s t a t i o n c o u n t r y f u r t h e r n o r t h .

He was a principal figure in the establishment of key organisations of the F itzroy Va l l ey a n d t h e l o n g t i m e c h a i r m a n o f A N K A .

H e i s a c o n s t a n t p r e s e n c e a t M a n g k a j a , a t t e n d i n g t o h i s w o r k e v e r y d a y, r e c r e a t i n g i m a g e s o f h i s c o u n t r y. H e a n d h i s w i f e w e r e i n s e p a r a b l e u n t i l h e r p a s s i n g i n A p r i l 2014, he now is the glue that stabilises his family of children, including grand and great grandchildren.

Known as the ‘statesman’ at Mangkaja, he is a clever and

dedicated man, who came up with the idea to paint countr y to show landownership in the battle for native title, which resulted in the now priceless Ngur rara Canvas.

To m m y M a y i s n o t t o b e u n d e r e s t i m a t e d . H e h a s a l i f e t i m e o f e x p e r i e n c e t o d r a w o n .

He is well travelled in his own countr y and experienced with navigating whitefella w a y s . H e i s a l o y a l f r i e n d w i t h a l o n g m e m o r y, e v i d e n t i n h i s l o n g t e r m r e l a t i o n s h i p s with key artists such as Nicole Ma, director of Putuparri and the Rainmakers, and a t w e n t y y e a r w o r k i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h M a r t i n K i n g , s e n i o r p r i n t m a k e r a t A P W.

M r M ay i s a l o n g r e s p e c t e d p a i n t e r a n d p r i n t m a k e r . To m m y ’ s m a r k s h a v e a l w ay s b e e n c o m p e l l i n g . A n d wh e n i n l a t e 2 0 1 3 , R e ko R e n n i e ’s wo r k s h o p p u t a p o s c a p e n i n t o To m m y ’s h a n d a n d a f l u o r e s c e n t b o a r d u n d e r n e a t h i t , a b r e a k t h r o u g h occur red. His works on board and tin have since been a revelation, with sell out shows and galleries competing for works before he can complete them.

To m m y

M ay ’s n ew wo r k s c o m b i n e h i s m a s t e r y o f c o l o u r w i t h h i s l o n g e s t a b l i s h e d s k i l l o f e t c h i n g , m a r k m a k i n g a n d b o l d s y m b o l o g y.

With his works on painted metal

e s p e c i a l l y, t h e r e ’ s a s e n s e o f a r t i s t v e r s u s m e d i u m , t h e i m a g e i s i n r e l i e f a n d r e v e a l s t h e t e x t u r e o f t h e s c r a t c h e d e n a m e l . T h e r e i s a s e n s e o f p h y s i c a l i t y, a n d f o r t i t u d e - a n a n o l o g y f o r a l i f e l i v e d o n c o u n t r y.

BELINDA COOK P r i n t e d i n A r t C o l l e c t o r M a ga z i n e , i s s u e # 7 7 .

TO M M Y M AY : “ H a s i t go t a n a m e ye t ( t h e s h ow ) ? ” W E S M A S E L L I : “ We ’ v e c a l l e d i t N g a r r a l j a To m m y M ay o n t i n ” T O M M Y M A Y : “A h g o o d , y e s , t h a t ’ s w h a t I ’ v e b e e n d o i n g n o w … ( p a u s e ) … i t ’s a l l r e a l l y m y m o t h e r s c o u n t r y I d e p i c t . K u r t a l s i d e . K u r t a l , W i r r k a n j a ( H e l e n a Springs), all around there. My father was not from there, his country was to the K i w i k u r r a s i d e . H e p a s s e d aw ay wh e n I w a s a yo u n g m a n , a b o u t t h e s a m e a ge a s my kelagi (grandson) is now (just about a teenager). At that time I was already using weapons like spear and nala-nala to hunt with, weapons my father had m a d e f o r m e . T h o u g h I w a s n o t ye t u s i n g a m a r a b a k u ( a s p e a r t h r owe r l i ke a woomera). My father had been living around Kiwirkur ra when his wife died. After that his daughters went to the countr y around Balgo, and my father left that c o u n t r y w i t h h i s t w o s o n s a n d c a m e t o m y m o t h e r ’ s c o u n t r y. M y f a t h e r w a s a proper bushman alright - he never saw a whitefella. He had a long impressive b e a r d , d r e a d l o c k s h a l f w ay d ow n h i s b a c k , a n d a n o s e - b o n e . H e c a m e t o K u r t a l c o u n t r y a n d m a r r i e d m y m o t h e r. H e w a s t a u g h t K u r t a l b u s i n e s s by L aw a l - l aw a l ( l a t e M r s S n e l l ’s f a t h e r ) , b e c a u s e h e w a s n ’ t f r o m t h a t c o u n t r y a n d d i d n ’ t k n ow t h e s t o r y, b u t L a w a l - l a w a l t a u g h t h i m .

O n e d ay m y f a t h e r t o l d u s t o w a i t f o r h i m wh e r e we we r e , o n t h e c r e s t o f a s a n d h i l l , near to Wirrkanja. He had said,

‘ k u t j a r a - k u t j a r a - k u j u ’ , t h a t s ‘ f i ve d ay s ’ t h a t we

should wait for him. It was the brothers and sisters and our mother waiting there.

My father was an impor tant Law man, he was like a king , and he was setting off t o s e t t l e a n u n f i n i s h e d m a t t e r. S o m e t h i n g

f r o m ye a r s b e f o r e - l aw b u s i n e s s .

G e o r g e S p i n x , a n d B l i n d B i l l y, c a m e u p o n m y f a t h e r ’ s t r a c k s , a n d f o l l o w e d t h e m t o M i nya r k a , a n o t h e r j i l a o r l i v i n g s p r i n g . T h a t ’s wh e r e t h ey f o u n d m y f a t h e r ’s b o d y. B e a t e n u p I g u e s s , w i t h h i s w e a p o n s s c a t t e r e d b r o k e n o n t h e g r o u n d .

Pe o p l e s ay m y f a t h e r h a d t r o u b l e w i t h t h e f e a t h e r - f o o t ( s o r c e r o r ) , a n d t h a t t h e

‘WURNA JUWAL’. 16-208. Acrylic on etched enamel on tin. 80x60cm. 2016.

‘JILJI AND BILA’. 34/16. Acrylic paint on tin. 60 x 80cm. 2016.

trouble had finally caught up with him. The two brothers Spinx and Billy covered u p t h e b o d y, t h e w a y t h e y w o u l d d o i t j u s t w i t h s t i c k s a n d m a y b e r o c k s , a n d t h e n car ried on travelling. In the night they were spooked by a wailing sound that came e x t r e m e l y c l o s e t o t h e i r c a m p - t h ey t o o k i t t o b e m y Fa t h e r ’s s p i r i t a n d we r e ve r y f r i g h t e n e d , t h ey b u r n t a wh o l e l o t o f s p i n i f e x a n d r a n aw ay i n t o t h e n i g h t .

We h a d b e e n w a i t i n g w i t h m y m o t h e r o n t h a t s a n d d u n e , wh e n we h e a r d a s e r i e s o f l o u d t h u m p s o n t h e gr o u n d . R i g h t t h e n m y m o t h e r h a d s a i d , “ T h a t ’s i t , yo u r f a t h e r i s d e a d . ( To m e a n d m y b r o t h e r ) W h a t a r e y o u w a i t i n g f o r ? Y o u c a n g o y o u r o w n w a y n o w.” S o o n a f t e r s h e h a d s a i d t h a t , t h e t w o b r o t h e r s G e o r g e S p i n x a n d B l i n d B i l l y a r r i ve d , t h ey h a d b e e n t r ave l l i n g f o r t wo a n d a h a l f d ay s , a n d t h ey t o l d u s t h e n e w s , that it was tr ue what my mother had known, that my father was dead.

T h a t ’ s a t r u e s t o r y … S o y o u s e e , w e h a d a l w a y s b e e n l i v i n g o n m y m o t h e r ’ s c o u n t r y, t h a t ’ s t h e c o u n t r y I k n o w. I ’ m n o t d e p i c t i n g d r e a m i n g s t o r i e s , I ’ m s i m p l y s h o w i n g t h e c o u n t r y o u t t h e r e , t h e s a n d h i l l c o u n t r y.”

TOMMY MAY

‘JILJI AND BILA’. 348-16. Acrylic on etched enamel on tin. 60x60cm. 2016.

‘RAIN’. 352-16. Acrylic on etched enamel on tin. 60x60cm. 2016.

‘WURNA JUWAL’. 292-16. Acrylic on etched enamel on tin. 2 x 80 x 40cm. 2016.

‘WURNA JUWAL’. 292-16. Acrylic on etched enamel on tin. 2 x 80 x 40cm. 2016.

‘JILJI AND BILA’. 104/16. Acrylic on etched enamel on tin. 60 x 60cm. 2016.

‘WURNA JUWAL’. 268/16. Acrylic on etched enamel on tin. 60x60cm. 2016.

‘WURNA JUWAL’. 33/16. Acrylic paint and enamel on tin. 60 x 60cm. 2016.

‘WURNA JUWAL’. 311-16. Acrylic on etched enamel on tin. 60x60cm. 2016.

‘WURNA JUWAL’. 12/16. 2016. Acrylic on enamel on plywood. 50 x 70cm. 2016.

‘WURNA JUWAL’. 44/16. Acrylic on plywood. 55 x 70cm. 2016.

‘JIJI AND BILA’. 119/16. Acrylic on board. 70 x 55cm. 2016

‘KURTAL JILA’. 16-207. Acrylic on board. 55 x 70cm. 2016.

‘JILJI AND BILA’. 16-206. Acrylic on etched enamel on tin. 60 x 60cm. 2016.

‘JILJI AND BILA’. 151/16. Acrylic on etched enamel on tin. 60 x 60cm. 2016.

‘WURNA JUWAL’. 424/16. Scratched enamel paint on tin. 100 x 120cm. 2016.

‘JILJI & BILA’. 425-16. Acrylic on board. 120x120cm. 2016.

‘WURNA JUWAL’. 296-16. Acrylic on etched enamel on tin. 40x40cm. 2016.

‘WURNA JUWAL’. 13/16. Acrylic paint on plywood. 60 x 40cm. 2014.

TOMMY AND I are retur ning from the V irginia F ilm Festival in the United States, we had been guests of the festival representing the film Putupar ri and the Rain M a k e r s . I ’ m d r i n k i n g a n o r a n g e j u i c e a n d I ’ m t h i n k i n g h o w s t r a n g e f o r T o m m y, t o b e b o r n i n a d e s e r t i n t o a v i t a l l y - s p a r e m a t e r i a l c u l t u r e , a n d t o b e n o w, i n o l d age, flying in a plane across the wor ld, drinking what is in relative ter ms a whole l o t o f o r a n ge j u i c e i n a p l a s t i c c u p . A l o n g t h e w ay I ’ ve b e e n r e a d i n g D av i d Wa l s h ’s e x c e l l e n t b o o k A B O N E O F F A C T, k e e n t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e r e a s o n w h y a s t h e y s a y i n i n d u s t r y c i r c l e s , “ H e ( D a v i d W a l s h ) d o e s n ’ t c o l l e c t A b o r i g i n a l a r t .”

Near the end of the book, mentioning Aboriginal art I believe for the only time, Wa l s h w r i t e s : “A r t i s o n l y a n e f f i c i e n t c o m m u n i c a t o r i n t h e s e n s e t h a t i t e n ga ge s c o m m o n a l i t y a n d e x p l o i t s p r e - e x i s t i n g j o i n t s o c i a l p r o c e s s e s . I t d o e s n ’t c o m m u n i c a t e a c r o s s c u l t u r a l b o u n d a r i e s e f f i c i e n t l y. W i t h o u t t r a i n i n g , A b o r i g i n a l a r t i s j u s t beautiful” 337

E a r l i e r i n t h e b o o k Wa l s h e x p l a i n s t h e u n o r t h o d o x p h i l o s o p hy a t h i s M u s e u m , M O N A , n o t t o a c c o m p a ny wo r k s w i t h e x p l a n a t o r y i n f o r m a t i o n . M o r e o r l e s s t h e idea is to allow a viewer an intuitive understanding of ar t, using senses as well as intellect. That is in opposition to the orthodox (read institutionalised) didacticpanel approach.

B a c k i n M a r y l a n d , To m m y ’ s V I P s t a t u s g r a n t e d u s a p r i v a t e m i n i - t o u r o f t h e s t o r e h o u s e o f t h e N a t u r a l H i s t o r y M u s e u m , p a r t o f t h e S m i t h s o n i a n I n s t i t u t e . I t ’s a h u g e r e p o s i t o r y, a n d T o m m y a n d I w e r e s h o w n s o m e a r t i f a c t s c o l l e c t e d f r o m t h e K i m b e r l ey a n d C e n t r a l D e s e r t b e t we e n t h e 1 9 3 0 ’s a n d 1 9 6 0 ’s . A l l o f t h e a m a z i n g / b e a u t i f u l o b j e c t s h ave a n u m b e r a s p a r t o f d a t a b a s e , b eyo n d t h a t , t h e a t t a c h e d labels are minimal, usually consisting of brief infor mation regarding the general l o c a t i o n t h e y w e r e c o l l e c t e d . To m m y w a s s k e p t i c a l , h e t h o u g h t t h e r e s h o u l d b e m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n . Tw o o t h e r o b j e c t s c a u g h t o u r e y e . I n c r e d u l o u s l y w e l o o k e d a t a ‘boomerang’ that was so obviously non functional, evidently fashioned from the

tongue-and-groove end of a table. The other was ‘a shield’, of ver y questionable f u n c t i o n a l i t y. E s s e n t i a l l y i t w a s a t h i c k p i e c e o f b a r k w i t h a h a n d l e g l u e d i n t o i t w i t h s p i n i f e x g u m . I d o n ’ t t h i n k i t h a d a l a b e l a p a r t f r o m a n u m b e r, we t u r n e d i t over and penciled on the front of it was the single word question “fake?”.

T h e b u ye r s o f A b o r i g i n a l a r t a r e u s u a l l y n o n - A b o r i g i n a l , i t ’s a c r o s s c u l t u r a l exchange. During this change of position, the ar twork moves from representational t o a b s t r a c t , t h o u g h t h e l a b e l “A b o r i g i n a l a r t ” s o m e w h a t m i t i g a t e s t h i s a b s t r a c t i o n .

Entr y level understanding of Aboriginal art talks of the Dreamtime, a parallel and sacred world.

Not all the artists from the original Abstractionist movement of

t h e 1 9 4 0 ’s c o n s i d e r e d t h e m s e l ve s p r i e s t s , b u t s o m e d i d . S o m e o f t h e s e we r e probably fakers like the fashioner of the afore-mentioned shield, helped along in a ny c a s e by t h e d e s i r e i n t h e a r t a d m i r e r t o v i ew s o m e t h i n g u n f a m i l i a r t o t h e m as sacred.

I n h i s u p c o m i n g s h o w w i t h R a f t S o u t h , To m m y h a s s o m e e x c e p t i o n a l l y b e a u t i f u l wo r k s . I n t u i t i ve l y h oweve r, m o r e t h a n b e a u t i f u l , t h ey r e a d a s r e l i g i o u s l y s u b l i m e .

A n d i t ’ s o n l y b e c a u s e To m m y s ay s h e ’ s n o t t e l l i n g s a c r e d s t o r i e s , t h a t w e h a v e t o t h i n k h e ’s n o t .

Post Script: With the opening of this exhibition our thoughts extend to the late M r S n e l l , a n d h i s f a m i l y. M r S n e l l p a s s e d a w a y a s T o m m y a n d I w e r e f l y i n g o v e r t h e P a c i f i c O c e a n f r o m L o s A n g e l e s . To m m y a n d I l o s t a d ay o v e r t h e G r e e n w i c h M e r i d i a n , a n d t h e F i t z r oy Va l l ey l o s t i t ’s gr e a t K u r t a l B o s s .

WES MASELLI November 2016

ALL IMAGES: MANGKAJA ARTS RESOURCE AGENCY.

LEVEL 1, 30 ARGYLE STREET HOBART TAS 7000. T 0438 335 131 E hobart.raft@iinet.net.au W www.raftartspace.com.au