Michael
Nelson jakamarra |
|
$Aud8,000 + GST 10% for sales
in Australia This painting depicts designs associated with the Rainbow Serpent, Kangaroo, Goanna, Possum, Water Rain, lightning and Emu. All are important mythological symbols and stories which were inherited from his father. The serpent represent the protectors of many sacred sites within Michael’s country and is responsible for their safety. This area relate to sacred initiation sites where the Dreaming stories are enacted and told during these ceremonies. The artist explains that
Because of the sacred nature of the dreamings no further details can be
given.
Michael Nelson jakamarra Michael Nelson is a ‘second-wave’ Papunya painter who is carrying on the traditions of his people in a dignified and thorough manner. He is regarded by his contemporaries of something of a ‘role model’ and is a consistent producer of top quality paintings in the ‘Papunya’ style. Michael’s paintings are clear, controlled and distnctive. He has a wide following in the market place.
Although he was born west of
Yuendumu at Pikilyi, Vaughan Springs, Michael lived at Haasts Bluff prior to
moving to Papunya in 1976. Both his mother and father were Walpiri people. He
received a European education at Yuendumu and left school aged 13 to work at
buffalo shooting and cattle droving. During that same period Michael underwent
initiation to learn his song cycles
and dreamings. His father was an important tribal elder and medicine man at
Yuendumu and it was therefore almost automatic that he would grow up with the
traditional values and knowledge that now permeate his paintings.
He learned to paint at Papunya by
watching the senior men such as Billy Stockman and Old Mick Tjakamarra.
Although he was also tutored by his uncle, Jack Tjupurrula, Michael
evolved his own style. He began to make his own work from 1983, more than
a decade after desert painting, in its current form, had begun. He is therefore
thought of as a ‘second generation’ artist who is, nevertheless, very close
to the origins of the genre.
His dreamings include the Yam,
Possum, Two Kangaroos, Flying Ant and Snake. Their images, mostly in pure
symbolic form, occur regularly in his paintings. By 1987 Michael had been asked
to paint a major work (27’long) to adorn the foyer of Sydney’s Opera House.
He chose to paint his ‘Possum Dreaming’ story.
A great highlight of his career
came the following year when he was commissioned to design a 196sq metre mosaic
for Australia’s new parliament house in Canberra. The work was based on his
‘Kangaroo and Emu’ dreaming. When the building was officially opened by Her
Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, Michael was presented to her.
Prior to that time he had won the
1984 National Aboriginal Art Award and had had his work exhibited in the 1986
Biennale of Sydney. One of his major works is ‘Five Stories’ which was
reproduced on the catalogue cover for the Asia Society’s exhibition,
‘Dreamings, The Art of Aboriginal Australia’, in New York during 1988-89.
His participation in that exhibition included a ground painting and ceremonial
dance which he executed in conjunction with the Papunya elder, Billy Stockman. The great appeal of Michael’s art may also be judged by the commission he undertook in 1989 when he painted a BMW, M3 racing car by hand. In 1993 The Australian Government saw fit to award him the Australia Medal for his services to Aboriginal art. |
