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in Australia This painting depicts the journeys of the Two Travelling Women from the Napurrula and Nungala subsection, as they travelled to the site of Tjallywarri from the Mitukatjari in the south. These two women were followed by an old man of the Jakamarra kinship sub-section. The two women rested at Tjallywarri, While they were camped there they painted up before continuing on their journey to Putja. (This painting represents the Body/Ground designs for this event including the campsite where it took place). Later the old man stopped at the site as well. Due to sacred aspects of this dreaming no further detail can be attained from the artist.
Turkey Tolson Jupurrula Turkey Tolson’s great importance as a desert artist resides in the fact that he was one of the original painting men at Papunya and in his status as an elder with significant scared ceremonial knowledge. Born about 1938 near Haast’s Bluff, Turkey genuinely deserves the epithet ‘living master’. His work is held by major state galleries throughout Australia and his paintings, like the work that of many other painters represented in this exhibition, has been shown in many venues throughout the western world. As this exhibition opens his work may be seen in significant collections Italy, Germany, Great Britain and the United States of America. He really represents the notion of ‘emergence from the desert’ better than any living Aboriginal painter. Turkey Tolson was one of the youngest of the painters who worked with Geoff Bardon in 1971 and his continued involvement with the painting movement since that time, coupled with his brilliantly developed image making will assure him of a place in any history Aboriginal art in this country. Not that Turkey really cares about the kudos and ‘fame’ which comes with being a noted painter. As Christopher Anderson pointed out when he referred to Andy Warhol and Turkey Tolson in the same breath,
The artist’s family followed a life which combined tradition with the benefits of white settlements. Prior to his birth Turkey’s family had moved between traditional country near Kintore and the Hermannsburg Mission. After his birth the family lived in the vicinity of Haasts Bluff which is where Turkey grew up and went through initiation ceremonies to manhood in the late 1950’s. Following the death of his first wife in 1983, Turkey moved further to the west to his country known as Yuwalki, south east of Kintore. This place has become the ‘new Papunya’ and in the 1990’s, mainly because of his presence there, bears the mantle of a very significant desert art community.
However, for the past twenty years he has mostly painted in the classical, traditional Pintupi style which is linear and confined to repetitious circles or squares denoting sites or events in the desert. In this regard he may be considered together with another famous Pitupi painter, Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, both of whom have been consistent contributors to the desert art movement over the past 29 years.
Turkey Tolson’s style generates great aesthetic appeal. Nevertheless their prime purpose is to instruct in a deep and tacit way about the earth, its creation and its creators, and events which have shaped the artist’s personal world. Collections include Holmes a Court, National Gallery of Australia, Victoria Centre for Performing Arts, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia, National Museum of Australia, University of Western Australia, Darwin Supreme Court, Flinders University and Queensland Art Gallery. His art has been exhibited extensively in exhibitions throughout the western world. |
