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Queenie McKenzie

(Australia circa 1915–16 Nov 1998)

Language group
Gija, Kimberley region
Title
Mingmarriya, from the portfolio Crossroads
Other titles:
Mingarriya
Place of origin
Warmun (Turkey Creek) → East Kimberley → Western Australia → Australia
Year
1997
Media category
Print
Materials used
etching, aquatint, blue ink on white wove Velin Arches 280gsm paper
Edition
10/99
Dimensions

44.9 x 60.6cm platemark; 56.9 x 76.2cm sheet

Signature & date
Signed l.r. with blue ink thumb print. Not dated.
Credit
Mollie Gowing Acquisition Fund for Contemporary Aboriginal Art 1999
Accession number
62.1999.10
Location
Not on display
Further information

The print shows hills in the country called Mingmarriya, near Dingo Springs to the east of Warmum (Turkey Creek) Western Australia, where Queenie McKenzie lived and painted. The artist took one of her Aboriginal names, Mingmarriya, from this country.

Mingmarriya is limestone country. The light blue lines in Queenie's etching are the graves of old people buried in this country. The country is also associated with a Dreamtime story about kangaroos. In this story, all the animals were once human before they turned into a creature. From the creature, they then turned into hills, water or other sea and land forms.

Extract from the 'Crossroads' portfolio

Bibliography (3)

'Contemporary Australian prints from the Collection of the AGNSW' by Aggy von Ogtrop, pg. 16., Imprint Winter 2004, Winter 2004, 16 (illus.).

Anne Ryan (Australia) (Author), Contemporary Australian prints from the collection, Domain, 2004, (colour illus.). cat.no. 29

Crossroads: Millennium Portfolio of Australian Aboriginal Artists 1999, 1999, (colour illus.).

Exhibition history (3)

Crossroads: Millenium Portfolio of Australian Aboriginal Artists, Sherman Galleries, 18 Feb 1999–06 Mar 1999.

Another Country, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Jul 1999–02 Apr 2000.

Contemporary Australian prints from the collection (2004), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 03 Apr 2004–06 Jun 2004.