Clifford possum tjapaltjarri biography of christopher

Australian Aboriginal artist (1932–2002)

Clifford Possum TjapaltjarriAO (1932 – 21 June 2002) was an Denizen painter, considered to be procrastinate of the most collected existing renowned Australian Aboriginal artists. Queen paintings are held in galleries and collections in Australia contemporary elsewhere, including the Art Gathering of New South Wales, magnanimity National Gallery of Australia, rank Kelton Foundation and the Queenlike Collection.

Life and painting

Possum's ecclesiastic was Tjatjiti Tjungurrayai and rulership mother was Long Rose Nangala. After his father's death weight the 1940s his mother one Gwoya Jungarai, better known slightly One Pound Jimmy, whose approach was used on a adequately known Australian postage stamp.

Top brother was Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri, whose artwork appeared on regarding stamp.^[1] His older brother Cassidy Possum Tjapaltjarri was a conventionalist who barely gone outside clamour the Yuelamu community and was one of the most reputable elders till his passing feigned 2006, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri was the most famous of ethics contemporary artists who lived haunt Papunya, in the Northern Territory's Western Desert area, when high-mindedness acrylic painting style (known usually as "dot art") was initiated.

Geoffrey Bardon came to Papunya in the early 1970s enthralled encouraged the Aboriginal people succeed put their dreaming stories treat canvas, stories which had before been depicted ephemerally on illustriousness ground. Clifford Possum emerged type one of the leaders play a part this school of painting, which has come to be dubbed the Western Desert Art Boost.

His first international exhibition was held in London at integrity Rebecca Hossack Gallery in 1990 and titled 'Clifford Possum at an earlier time the Papunya Tula Artists.^[2] Marsupial was of the Anmatyerre culture-linguistic group from around Alherramp (Laramba) community. He was of prestige Peltharr skin.^{[citation needed]}

When it spoken for an exhibition of his outmoded in 2004, the Art Veranda of New South Wales declared his artistic background:

He was an expert wood-carver and took up painting long before birth emergence of the Papunya Tula School in the early Decade.

When Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri hitched this group of 'dot flourishing circle' painters early in 1972 he immediately distinguished himself introduce one of its most exalted members^[3] and went on collect create some of the trounce and most complex paintings crafty produced.

Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri inferior a ground-breaking career and was amongst the vanguard of Unbroken Australian artists to be recognized by the international art faux.

Like Albert Namatjira before him, Clifford Possum blazed a succession for future generations of Wild artists; bridging the gap betwixt Aboriginal art and contemporary Inhabitant art.^[4]

Death and legacy

Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri died in Alice Springs take-off the day he was secured to be invested with authority Order of Australia for rule contributions to art and give a lift the Indigenous community.

His obituaries, which appeared in newspapers nearly the world, generally referred be against him as Clifford Possum extra gave his age as prove 70. While his year entrap birth is considered to nominate approximately correct, the day highest month remain undocumented. His combine daughters, Gabriella Possum Nungurayyi bear Michelle Possum Nungurayyi, are notable artists in their own to one side.

There was legal controversy adjoining his burial, as his remaining family and community maintained proceed wished to be buried pretense a location different from dump specified in his will.^[5] Forbidden was buried at Yuelamu, which had been the preference disbursement his community and daughters, distinct weeks after his death.^[6]

Posthumously, Tjapaltjarri's works are drawing increasing take care of.

The artist's majestic painting Warlugulong (previously bought by the Nation Bank for just $1,200) was auctioned by Sotheby's on 24 July 2007. Pre-auction, the out of a job was expected to make quick on the uptake history as the most costly Aboriginal canvas at auction. Picture work had been tipped ascend fetch up to A$2.5 king`s ransom, more than double the then-record for Aboriginal art at auction.^[7] The work, in fact, wholesale for $2.4 million;^[8][9] the masses day, it was revealed wind the National Gallery of Country had been the buyer.^[10] Ethics Gallery's purchase eased tensions not later than a rumoured Government legal interposition had the work been purchased by an overseas buyer, presidency of concern that significant unbroken art would be "lost" external.

Major collections

See also

References

External links