Thomas Tjapaltjarri was another painter we caught up with in Alice Springs. He is interesting because he is part of the what's known as the 'Pintupi Nine'.
Thomas was born in about 1965 in the Gibson Desert, west of Alice Springs.
He and his family group were the last group of indigenous Australians to make contact with contemporary Australia, and until this time were living a completely traditional life.
Thomas paints in a bold, minimal style. His main panting subject is 'Tingari'.
The full story of 'Tingari' is really only known to initiated men from the Pintupi region of Australia.
However, we know that 'Tingari' can be described as something of a creation story - the 'Tingari' ancestors travelled the country, performing rituals and in turn creating the landforms of the country that we see today.
Thomas often paints aspects of the 'Tingari' that relate to sacred sites in his Country. These notably are rockholes and water soakages where water can be found. With the obvious scarceness of water in the desert, the location of water is paramount to survival in the harsh desert.
No comments:
Post a Comment