Western Desert Art
Papunya, 240 km north west of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
In August 1983, the Australian Museum purchased a collection of 94 paintings known as the 'Papunya Permanent Collection'. Papunya is an Aboriginal settlement about 240 km north west of Alice Springs. The Warlpiri, Pintubi, Anmatyerre, Arrente and Luritja people who live at Papunya come from several areas of central Australia.
In early 1971, the late Geoff Bardon took up the post of art teacher at Papunya. In a remarkably short time he encouraged traditional artists to develop a new and distinctive art form now known as 'Western Desert Art' that today has worldwide recognition. The Papunya Permanent Collection consists of works from the early days of this movement, and is a vitally important archive of the transition from works on bits of scrap board to the large canvases of today.
In 1976, the community sent the paintings to the Aboriginal Arts Board of the Australia Council for safekeeping. As the Board was unable to store the paintings adequately, the artists decided to place the collection where it would be looked after for future generations to see and learn about their culture. They offered the collection to the Australian Museum, which agreed to keep the paintings together as a research and reference collection documenting the early stages of the Western Desert Art movement.
Water Dreaming at Kalipinya, E79169
Synthetic polymer paints on composition board
Artist: Old Walter Tjampitjinpa (c.1910-1981)
Papunya, Northern Territory, Australia, 1971
Old Walter Tjampitjinpa was a Pintubi man and senior custodian of the Water Dreaming. He was old enough to have participated in creating art works on the ground using traditional ochres, blood, feathers, flowers and leaves.
Untitled, E79179
Synthetic polymer paints on composition board
Artist: David Corby Tjapaltjarri (c.1945-1980)
Papunya, Northern Territory, Australia, 1971-1972
This is one of the early paintings done before dotting became popular. Like many of the early paintings, there is very little information about the subject matter of the painting by the artist, David Corby Tjapaltjarri, a Warlpiri/Ngalia man.
A Body Painting Design, E79212
Synthetic polymer paints on composition board
Artist: Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi (c.1920-1987)
Papunya, Northern Territory, Australia, 1971-1972
Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi was a Pintubi man from Lake MacDonald in the Gibson Desert, central Australia. In 1948 he moved to Haasts Bluff and Papunya, but his stories refer to his country of Lake MacDonald.
A Tingari Story from Tjiterulnga, E79170
Synthetic polymer paints on composition board
Artist: Charlie Tjararu Tjungurrayi (c.1921-1999)
Papunya, Northern Territory, Australia, 1971
Charlie Tjararu Tjungurrayi was a Pintubi man and was also known as Watama. This design indicates body markings for a ceremony at Tjiterulnga, his home country, west of the Kintore Range. It was probably painted in 1971 when there were problems getting adequate supplies of paint. This often meant the artists had a limited range of colours, or had to water them down, resulting in a remarkable variation of colour intensity.
Copyright © Australian Museum 2004