This meant removing them from tribal lands and herding them into settlements. They put down all the story, same like I do on canvas. It became the first 'dot' painting to enter a major public art collection. Source See Warlugulong in the Kaleidoscope. Encouraged by his brother Tim, Clifford Possum, who had already begun teaching woodcarving at the settlement, joined Bardons painting group, which later became the Papunya Tula Artists Company. award rationale. The sons' skeletons are on the right hand side of the image, shown against a background representing smoke and ashes. His subjects usually snakes and lizards were the same ancestral beings later seen in his paintings. An Anmatyerr man, he was born on Napperby Station near Alice Springs and started his working life in the 1940s as a stockman. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri was the most famous of the contemporary artists who lived around Papunya, in the Northern Territory's Western Desert area, when the acrylic painting style (known popularly as "dot art") was initiated. In 1976, with the assistance of Tim Leura, he painted Warlugulong 1976, which he later described as his number one painting. Deborah Hart, Head Curator, Australia Art, leads a conversation with Australian artists Fiona Hall and Judy Watson (Waanyi people). Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, one of the acknowledged pioneers of the contemporary Australian Aboriginal art movement which emerged at Papunya settlement in central Australia in the early 1970s, died in Alice Springs on June 21. Animal representations include tracks of a cluster of emus from a place called Napperby, on the artist's country, as well as those left by the rock wallaby, or Mala, men journeying north from Port Augusta in South Australia, as well as, on the left hand edge of the picture, those of two groups of dingoes going to a place called Warrabri. Over the next decade he would become the most widely travelled Aboriginal artist of his generation and an ambassador for Aboriginal art around the world. [9][10] The artist's images of this period are visually complex, and contain a wide variety of patterns, unified by strong background motifs and structure. No two ways about it: on the Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri retrospective January 2005 Authors: Andrew Mcnamara Queensland University of Technology Abstract Content uploaded by Andrew Mcnamara. We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Art Gallery of NSW stands. Possum was of the Anmatyerre culture-linguistic group from around Alherramp (Laramba) community. The work had been tipped to fetch up to A$2.5 million, more than double the then-record for Aboriginal art at auction. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (1932-2002) Collections: Artbank Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wale Read More. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, post 1976, Alice Springs/Northern Territory/Australia, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and his brother Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri were selected by Papunya Tula Artists. One of the founding fathers of the Papunya Tula Art Movement, this Anmatyerre artist remains the most celebrated artist in the history of Aboriginal Art and was the first Papunya Tula artist to be given a Retrospective, which began in October . The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency, oil and polymer vinyl paint on canvas (, The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. [notes 1] Owned for many years by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the work was sold by art dealer Hank Ebes on 24 July 2007, setting a record price for a contemporary Indigenous Australian art work bought at auction when it was purchased by the National Gallery of Australia for A$2.4million. [6][7] Clifford Possum was the first to make this transition commencing with a related painting, also titled Warlugulong (1976), now held by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Find an AIE artist It is named after the place west of Yuendumu where the fire began, indicated by the concentric circles at the centre of the glowing fire-burst, which conveys the explosive nature of the fire. For a time he experimented with complex striping, linked dotting or overlapping the background with a patching pattern. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. It lives at the National Gallery of Australia in Australia. His career as an artist began in the 1950's when he carved snakes and goannas. Sale Date: October 23, 2021. Copyright for artwork images on this website belongs to the artists or their estates. Tjapaltjarris mother also raised Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri, whose own mother was a victim of the massacre. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s his paintings featured in numerous group shows and his works were acquired for collections in Australia and overseas. [citation needed]. Possum and Bush Tucker Dreaming, 1996 . NAVIGATION From our early days, before European people came up. He rapidly distinguished himself as one of the companys most accomplished and inventive artists, an exponent of striking, multi-layered and meticulously rendered visual effects. While white settlers and government officials had driven tens of thousands of Aborigines from Australias richest farming land during the 19th century, the dispossession of central Australian Aborigines did not occur until the early 1900s and continued during the early years of Possums life. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri 'Warlugulong' Yuuma, Gurruburri. The charcoal grey areas indicate the burnt-out country, and the white dots represent ash. In 1972 Clifford Possum was introduced to the emergent painting movement at Papunya by his cousin Kaapa Tjapitjinpa and brother Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri. Description. [23] The bank sold it by auction in 1996. This heightened his appreciation of the idea that a painting might function as a map, and as a unified embodiment of place, identity and spirituality. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (American, 1932-2002) Dingo Dreaming Oil on canvas 50-1/2 x 28 inches (128.3 x 71.1 cm) Signed on the reverse: Clifford Possum PROVENANCE: Aboriginals Art of The First Person; Acquired from the above by the current owner, December 18, 1992. (Sotheby's) A dot painting by Indigenous artist Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri broke the existing record for an Aboriginal artwork at auction . Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (cca. His first opportunity to paint came when one of Albert Namatjira's sons gave him acrylic paints and the master began his work. Submit artwork for exhibitions They been using ochres all the colours from the rock. Contemporary Indigenous Australian art is a national movement of international significance with work by Indigenous artists, including paintings by those from the Western Desert, achieving widespread critical acclaim. Bears artist's name and title on Art Gallery of South Australia, Clifford Possum Tjapalatjarri Retrospective Tour label, on the protective foam core backing attached to the reverse of stretcher. Conditions were so bad during these years that Possums father perished from lack of water. He began carving in his late teens and had a reputation as a craftsman before the Papunya painting movement began. Realities Gallery in Melbourne then included the work in a major exhibition of Papunya Tula artworks. Coinciding with the superimposed stories was a new paint-layering technique and visual imagery. It was given extensive media coverage and had record attendances. Join the conversation in our Discord, and if you enjoy content like this, consider becoming a member for exclusive essays, downloadables, and discounts in the Obelisk Store. [8] The work and the price it achieved at auction in 2007 are cited as evidence of both the importance of Clifford Possum as an artist, and of the maturation and growth of the Australian Indigenous art market. Many of his canvasses have strong figurative elements which stand out from the highly descriptive background dotting. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri Australia Born: Napperby, Northern Territory, Australia circa 1932 Died: Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia 21 Jun 2002 Language group: Anmatyerr, Central Desert region Biography Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri was born on Napperby Station about 200 kilometres north-west of Mparntwe (Alice Springs). By the 1970's he was one of the most accomplished carvers in Central Australia. Tjapaltjarri was chairperson of Papunya Tula Artists during the early 1980s. Despite this success and his prolific output, Possums fame did not bring great personal wealth or security. Video, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri 'Warlugulong'. When it held an exhibition of his work in 2004, the Art Gallery of New South Wales described his artistic background: Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri died in Alice Springs on the day he was scheduled to be invested with the Order of Australia for his contributions to art and to the Indigenous community. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people. Mr Clifford POSSUM Tjapaltjarri. Born in a creek bed on Napperby cattle station, Clifford Possum worked from late boyhood as a stockman. One [] She concludes that there is "a topographic rationale for the order in which the Dreamings appear from left to right (that is, east to west) across the painting [as well as for] the transverse Dreaming trails". The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Video, Know My Name "Clifford is one of the most renown Aboriginal Artists of his time. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. On the stations, Tjapaltjarri roamed the land that had been home to 50,000 years of aboriginal people, displaced by the rapid colonization of the early 1900s. While his year of birth is considered to be approximately correct, the day and month remain undocumented. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri is arguably the most famous male Central Western Desert artist, who from 1971 until his death in 2002 dominated the Aboriginal art scene. [9], Around this central motif are arranged elements of eight other stories, all of them represented at least in part by sets of footprints. In the early 1950s, Possum met Albert Namatjira at Glen Helen Gorge, a newly developing tourist spot established by the nearby cattle station owner. He is one of Australia's most distinguished and best-selling painters of the late twentieth century. He was selected by the Possum family to be a pall bearer at Clifford's funeral, a great honour he very much valued." Mr Knight featured in the media many times over the years - from when he bred an unusual foal that was shot from the Hume Freeway to winning a bet to ride a donkey over the Princess Bridge in the Melbourne. The other artists working with him took his lead and removed any elements of European Art from their work. Carved snake (view from behind), 1973, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, pigment on wood, 71 x 40 x 15 cm. Some of the many other famous Aboriginal artists who used dot art styles include . Carpet Snake Dreaming. TheCompanion is available to buy online and in the Portrait Gallery Store. The painting portrays the results of a fire, caused by Lungkata to punish his two sons who did not share with their father the kangaroo they had caught. The full text of the article is here , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Possum_Tjapaltjarri, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. His paintings show superlative skill, incredible inventiveness of form and are visually spectacular.Clifford's work is contemporary but essentially Aboriginal in inspiration. His skill and inventiveness and his enormous enthusiasm for life made him the most celebrated Aboriginal artist of his generation. Tjapaltjarri amalgamated . Video excerpt from the ABC documentary 'The Exhibitionists' on First Nations Australian female artist Karla Dickens, Wiradjuri people. Because everybody there all ready waiting. For service as a contributor to and pioneer of the development of the Western Desert art movement, and to the indigenous community through interpretation of ancient traditions and cultural values. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri - 14 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy Artists Artworks Auctions Viewing Rooms Galleries Fairs Shows Museums Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri Australian, 1932-2002 Follow 99 Followers Active Secondary Market Overview Works for Sale (14) Auction Results Featured Works Artist Name Artwork Title Partner Price Artist Name [3], Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri died in Alice Springs on the day he was scheduled to be invested with the Order of Australia for his contributions to art and to the Indigenous community. 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