Title
Baratjala
2018
Artist
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Details
- Other Title
- Baratjula
- Place where the work was made
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Yirrkala
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North-east Arnhem Land
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Northern Territory
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Australia
- Cultural origin
- Madarrpa, Arnhem region
- Date
- 2018
- Media category
- Bark painting
- Materials used
- natural pigments on bark
- Dimensions
- 221.0 x 98.0 cm
- Credit
- Mollie Gowing Acquisition fund for Contemporary Aboriginal art 2018
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 241.2018
- Copyright
- © Noŋgirrŋa Marawili, courtesy Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre
- Artist information
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N Marawili
Works in the collection
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About
The art centre documentation for this work states;
‘In late 2017 she made an etching with Basil Hall at Yirrkala which used a brilliant fuschia as a component colour. In early 2018 Noŋgirrŋa's friend, kin sister and gallerist Beverly Knight independently queried whether Noŋgirrŋa wanted to respond to another Alcaston artist, Karen Mills recent work which also included fuschia. This coincidence seemed to suggest that it was a good time to add this colour to the palette when painting on recycled print proofs. And so in the early months of 2018 Buku-Larrŋgay went pink big time. This particular bark painting was a response to the fuschia works on paper and the colour was matched using a mixture of natural earth pigments.
In addition to these superpowers the work is a bifocal view of the universal powers surrounding Marawili's work, there is a grounding reminder of the physical reality of this location where they sit chipping and chiselling at the maypal which adheres to this rock. Mekawu (or simple rock oysters). Some are the duŋgurrŋaniny (barnacles) which she says nibble on the feet of the oyster gatherers whilst they perch atop these rocks. This journey from the sacred to the descriptive shifts in these works. She has reduced the Law to its elements unclothed in sacred design. Her identity cannot be separated from her art and so although she disavows any sacred intent the echo of miny’tji persists.’
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Places
Where the work was made
Yirrkala
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Exhibition history
Shown in 1 exhibition
Noŋgirrŋa Marawili: from my heart and mind, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 03 Nov 2018–24 Feb 2019