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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. Born at Napperby Station, north-west of Alice Springs, he is the youngest son of One Pound Jimmy Tjungurrayi and Long Rose Nangala [both deceased]. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri is perhaps the most famous male Australian Aboriginal artist and his dot art style is very well known - his daughters Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi and Michelle Possum Nungurrayi continue to explore using dot painting techniques today. His work lives on through his daughters Gabriella Possum Nungurayyi and Michelle Possum Nungurayyi, successful artists in their own right, who continue to evolve and expand contemporary Australian indigenous art in layered maps of the Dreaming. An established wood-carver and a skilled painter, in the early 1970s Clifford along with his brother Time Leura Tjapaltjarri joined the painting men which soon transformed into the Papunya Tula Artists. Showing Editorial results for clifford possum tjapaltjarri. His two daughters, Gabriella Possum Nungurayyi and Michelle Possum Nungurayyi, are renowned artists in their own right. Through the sheer power and beauty of his paintings, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri introduced his culture to the rest of Australia and then, to the world. There was legal controversy surrounding his burial, as his surviving family and community maintained he wished to be buried in a location different from that specified in his will. [13] Clifford Possum would often collaborate with other artists, particularly his brother Tim Leura, and the brothers together created the 1976 work of the same name. 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. The artwork description is incredibly detailed and will give the owner an amazing insight into both Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and also the artworks of the early Papunya Tula artists who moved from sandpaintings to canvas in the 1970's. A very rare opportunity to acquire a work of this calibre at a considerably discounted price. All the young fellas they go hunting and the old people there, they do sand painting. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the, Let me know when this portraits on display. Grandfather and grandmother, uncle and aunty, mummy and father, all that, they been carry on this, teach 'em all the young boys and girls. One of the extraordinary qualities of Clifford's work and other Western Desert artists is that they are a visual writing and speak to the Aboriginal as books do to Europeans.When asked why he became an Artist, he answered,"That Dreaming been all the time. When Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri joined this group of 'dot and circle' painters early in 1972 he immediately distinguished himself as one of its most talented members and went on to create some of the largest and most complex paintings ever produced". They been using the dancing boards, spear, boomerang all painted. For further information please contact NPG Copyright. It became the first 'dot' painting to enter a major public art collection. 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. Images may not be reproduced for any reason without express permission from the artist. Lungkata was the Bluetongue Lizard Man, an ancestral figure responsible for creating bushfire. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri AO Born: c.1932; Napperby, Australia Died: June 21, 2002; Alice Springs / Stuart, Australia Nationality: Australian Art Movement: Native Art Painting School: Papunya Tula Field: painting Family and Relatives: Michelle Possum Nungurrayi, Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (c.1932-2002) was one of the truly visionary Australian artists of the twentieth century. The sons' skeletons are on the right hand side of the image, shown against a background representing smoke and ashes. +61 2 6240 6411 Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri was born c. 1932 to Tjatjiti Tjungurrayai and Long Rose Nangala in Tjuirri, an area north-west of Alice Springs also known as Napperby Station. He is and has always been regarded as the leading figure in Australian Aboriginal Art.Copyright Kate Owen Gallery May 2022, Copyright 2022 Kate Owen Gallery Pty Ltd. Art critic Benjamin Genocchio describes it as "a work of real national significance [and] one of the most important 20th-century Australian paintings". 193221. Clifford Possum was the first recognised star of the Western Desert art and one of Australia's most distinguished painters of the late twentieth century. He is one of Australia's most distinguished and best-selling painters of the late twentieth century. We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Art Gallery of NSW stands. After learning how to muster and brand cattle, he became a stockman at Hamilton Downs and then head stockman at Narwietooma station. Pre-auction, the work was expected to make art history as the most expensive Aboriginal canvas at auction. Get art in your inbox, The National Gallery acknowledges the First Peoples of this land and recognises their continuous connection to culture, community and Country, First Nations His skill and inventiveness and his enormous enthusiasm for life made him the most celebrated Aboriginal artist of his generation. That Dreaming carry on. Allan, and his mother from Warlugulong, an area southwest of Yuendumu. SYDNEY, Australia, June 29 Clifford Possum, who painted some of the masterpieces of Australian aboriginal art, died on June 21 in Alice Springs in the Australian desert, an ancient landscape. The work, in fact, sold for $2.4 million; the following day, it was revealed that the National Gallery of Australia had been the buyer. The Aboriginal Memorial commemorates Aboriginal Australians who have lost their lives defending their land since the beginning of European settlement. After the death of his father, his mother married Gwoya Jungarai who was the first named Aboriginal person to appear on an Australian stamp and was known as 'One Pound Jimmy'. Within this framework, he depicted the land geographically. The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. (Sotheby's) A dot painting by Indigenous artist Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri broke the existing record for an Aboriginal artwork at auction . (270 x 128 cm.) Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri Clifford Tilmouth Colin Bird Colleen Wallace Nungari Connie Nakamarra Fisher Corinne Nampijinpa Ryan Cornelius Jungarrayi Spencer Cowboy Louie Pwerle D Dadu Gorey Nungarrayi Danny Japaljarri France David Angus Jungala Deborah Napaljarri Wayne Debra Nangala McDonald Debra Young Nakamarra Delores Furber Napaltjarri It was given extensive media coverage and had record attendances. He worked extensively as a stockman on the cattle stations in and around his traditional country. [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. Video, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri 'Warlugulong'. These included a number of paintings depicting Warlugulong, the Bushfire Dreaming story relating to his mother's birthplace. 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. After completing five works of similar scale and style during the 1970s, Possum began experimenting with colour and subtle modifications of traditional symbols. The unwanted publicity and other pressures had a debilitating impact on Possum and he largely withdrew from the art scene. Reed Enger, "Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Reclaiming the land," in Obelisk Art History, Published January 16, 2020; last modified November 06, 2022, http://www.arthistoryproject.com/artists/clifford-possum-tjapaltjarri/. Additional documents supplied by Central Australian . His brother was Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri, whose artwork appeared on another stamp. (age70in2002), Basil P. Bressler (48portraits supported). Namatjira was the leading Aboriginal artist at the time, finding growing success for his realistic watercolour landscapes that captured the stark and unique beauty of central Australia. Photo: Professor JVS Megaw, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Possum_Tjapaltjarri. 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 Poss.. 61: CLIFFORD POSSUM TJAPALTJARRI (c. 1932 - 2002) "Worm Dreaming Napperby" Est: AUD 2,000 - AUD 4,000 View sold prices Jan. 04, 2023 Ozbid Auctions LEICHHARDT, NSW, AU Clifford Possum was said to be a true master artist, his character, charisma, and total dedication to his art and dreamings, as well as his tireless promotion of his and his family's work has set a high standard in establishing this movement from its inception to the present day. Possum's father was Tjatjiti Tjungurrayai and his mother was Long Rose Nangala. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri led a ground-breaking career and was amongst the vanguard of Indigenous Australian artists to be recognised by the international art world. [8] The two images are amongst five that the artist created between 1976 and 1979 that linked the iconography of sacred stories to geographic representation of his country the land to which he belonged and about which he had traditional knowledge. Their works were mostly Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) stories, representing the creation of significant sites and landforms by ancestral beings along their paths of travel through traditional lands. The incident led to the first conviction of an Australian art dealer for fraud and saw some malicious and undeserved criticism directed against the artist by a number of influential collectors. As an artist who frequently incorporates celestial-like symbols and motifs in his work, Johnson was drawn to the meditative and intricate quality of dotting and sought permission from the Papunya artists to employ it. Source See Warlugulong in the Kaleidoscope. Video, Know My Name [24] After hanging in Ebes's living room for eleven years,[24] it was auctioned in Melbourne by Sotheby's on 24 July 2007. Each artwork featured an intricately detailed surface of dots and lines in rich reds and ochres. At last, The Art of Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri presents a comprehensive account of the work of this extraordinary artist. c.1932- 21 June 2002
In 1976 a BBC documentary crew traveled deep into Australias Northern Territory to watch Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and his brother Tim Leura paint a masterpiece. Primary Marketplace ( 2022 ): Australia Clifford Possum TJAPALTJARRI is an artist born in Australia c.1932 and deceased in 2002. Like Albert Namatjira before him, Clifford Possum blazed a trail for future generations of Indigenous artists; bridging the gap between Aboriginal art and contemporary Australian art. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. In June of 2002, Tjapaltjarri traveled to Alice Springs to receive the rank of Officer in the meritorious Order of Australia for Distinguished service of a high degree to Australia or to humanity at large. But on the 21st, the day of the award ceremony, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri passed away. This laid the foundation for traditional Aboriginal Iconography to be placed on canvas. [17], Johnson's analysis of the painting emphasises the relationship between the representation of geographical sites in the Yuendumu region and the dreaming stories associated with those sites. [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 Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri: Warlugulong (2007) 1,758 views Nov 25, 2013 13 Dislike Share Save AGOD - Aboriginal Gallery Of Dreamings 42 subscribers Clifford's painting featured on the news. In June he received the Order of Australia for his pioneering work in the development of the Western Desert Art movement, and was to be officially invested with the award on the day he died. Tjapaltjarri was 44, and one of the founders of a flourishing art community in the small aboriginal village of Papunya. Clifford Possum led a groundbreaking career and was amongst the vanguard of Indigenous Australian artists to be 1932 c. - 2002 redrock gallery is honoured and proud to presnt the great late Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri arguably the most famous male Central Western Desert artist, who from 1971 until his death in 2002 dominated the Aboriginal art scene. Possum was of the Anmatyerre culture-linguistic group from around Alherramp (Laramba) community. His paintings are held in galleries and collections in Australia and elsewhere, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Na His obituaries, which appeared in newspapers around the world, generally referred to him as Clifford Possum and gave his age as about 70. In 1928 police shot and killed nearly 100 Aborigines at the infamous Coniston massacre. I use paint and canvas that's not from us, from European people. It makes accessible the development of a master painter of the Anmatyerre tribe, one . Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Long Jack Phillipus Tjakamarra, and William Sandy are some of the best known Papunya artists. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri In Ocula Magazine Ocula News Swiss Collector Buys Kelton Collection of Australian Indigenous Art Melbourne, 3 December 2020 In a deal worth millions, Bruno Raschle acquired more than 250 works in the California-based collection. Carved snake (view from front), 1973, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, pigment on wood, 71 x 40 x 15 cm. His two daughters, Gabriella Possum Nungurayyi and Michelle Possum Nungurayyi, are renowned artists in their own right. Tjapaltjarri had been a part of the Papunya art community for four years and was one of their most successful and respected artists, but it was his previous career as a stockman working on central Australias pastoral stations, or ranches, that made him uniquely qualified for the project. He was of the Peltharr skin. In 2002 Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia 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., Vivien Johnson in 'Tradition today: Indigenous art in Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2014, Open daily Carved snake (view from behind), 1973, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, pigment on wood, 71 x 40 x 15 cm. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri was a significant Aboriginal artist. This information and Possums work herding cattle and horses across the desert provided the source and content of his later paintings. You have Javascript disabled. Tim Johnson became interested in the Papunya Tula Artists after seeing an exhibition of their paintings in Sydney in 1977. Video excerpt from the ABC documentary 'The Exhibitionists' on First Nations Australian female artist Karla Dickens, Wiradjuri people. Other Aboriginal artists have incorporated western mediums into their work, such as Emily Kngwarreye, Rover Thomas, and Freddy Timms. The National Gallery acknowledges the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, the Traditional Custodians of the Kamberri/Canberra region, and recognises their continuous connection to culture, community and Country. The painting illustrates the story of an ancestral being called Lungkata, together with eight other dreamings associated with localities about which Clifford Possum had traditional knowledge. In 1988 and 1990 Tjapaltjarris work was featured in London galleries, bringing an international audience to Papunyas flourishing art practice. While Possum had two small exhibitions in Brisbane and Melbourne in 1987, his first major retrospective was at Londons Institute of Contemporary Art in 1988. There was legal controversy surrounding his burial, as his surviving family and community maintained he wished to be buried in a location different from that specified in his will. See our exhibitions Tjapaltjarri amalgamated . Police claimed that the Aborigines had killed a local dingo hunter. [1] His older brother Cassidy Possum Tjapaltjarri was a traditionalist who barely gone outside of the Yuelamu community and was one of the most respected elders till his passing in 2006, 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. His older brother Cassidy Possum Tjapaltjarri was a traditionalist who barely gone outside of the Yuelamu community and was one of most respected elder till his passing in 2006, 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. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s his paintings featured in numerous group shows and his works were acquired for collections in Australia and overseas. By the 1970's he was one of the most accomplished carvers in Central Australia. 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. Chicago, Los Angeles and St Louis 1988, 'Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri Paintings 1973-1986', retrospective exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; 1990 'l'ete . While mastering the dot painting techniques used by other Papunya Tula artists, he began drawing on other sources for inspiration. This approach help give birth to the unique Papunya Tula style, which is an abstract representation of tribal myths and legends that is derived from traditional ceremonial designs. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons. Realities Gallery in Melbourne then included the work in a major exhibition of Papunya Tula artworks. [11], Created in synthetic polymer paint on canvas,[12] and a substantial 2 by 3.3 metres (6.6ft 10.8ft) in size, the work's title is taken from a location roughly 300 kilometres (190mi) "northwest of Alice Springs associated with a powerful desert dreaming". 1977. The full text of the article is here , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Possum_Tjapaltjarri, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. Warlugulong is a 1977 acrylic on canvas painting by Indigenous Australian artist Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri is arguably the most widely acclaimed, collected and exhibited Aboriginal artist of . He was buried at Yuelamu, which had been the preference of his community and daughters, several weeks after his death. Video excerpt from the ABC documentary 'The Exhibitionists' on Australian female artist Vivienne Binns. Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri was born on Napperby Station about 200 kilometres north-west of Mparntwe (Alice Springs). Geoffrey Bardon came to Papunya in the early 1970s and encouraged the Aboriginal people to put their dreaming stories on canvas, stories which had previously been depicted ephemerally on the ground. A co-founder of the audacious Papunya Tula style and the first Aboriginal painter to be critically acclaimed by art patrons in Europe and North America, Clifford Possums life bore all the scars of poverty and racist oppression confronting Aborigines in central Australia in the 20th century. Warlugulong In 1983 Possums Mulga Seed Dreaming won the 14th Alice Prize, an important breakthrough.