One Way: The Painted Lines Of Stone Country Art

Jimmy Galareya Namarnyilk, Don Nakadilinj & Robert Namarnyilk.
Curator Andrew Blake

22 November 2006 to 27 January 2007

CROSS CONVERSATION

The painted lines of these three artists of West Central Arnhem Land run in parallel, not cross hatched. The people of the headwaters of the Liverpool and the Mann Rivers have this as their style or way. Their art continues the tradition of rock art and tells the stories of the spirits, ancestors and creatures who shaped the stone country.

Their paintings typically have an austere background overlaid with a white cartoon given body and identity by natural ochres. Jimmy’s line is bold and unswervingly confident; Don’s line is gentle and feathery; Robert’s lines are intense and close.

Jimmy Galareya Namarnyilk helped raise Robert Namarnyilk. Robert’s father (Jimmy’s older brother), the collected artist and ceremonial man Spider Nabanu Namirikki, died when Robert was young. Jimmy and Don are ceremonial colleagues.

JIMMY GALAREYA NAMARNYILK lives at Gamagowan outstation near the headwaters of the Mann River. His invested culture is of the highest order: his father was the last great Ubarr Man. His knowledge gives him the authority to paint, in a secular sense, the secret ritual of Ubarr dancers and senior conductors. These works, which are often portraits of celebrity individuals, hang alongside others depicting ancestral heroes and power beings—lightning men and clever men of duel identity and totemic animals. Jimmy’s paintings, like the man, are full of jump, kick and verve. As an artist his work is of the same high calibre as those of his neighbour Lofty Bardayal Nadjamerrek.

DON NAKADILINJ NAMUNDJA paints the emblems, ancestors, animals and plants found at his birthplace at Mankorlod. His name, Nakadiliny, is made of the male prefix, Na, and the name, kadilinj, for a sacred place of water at Mankorlod. Don and the art world found each other during the wet season of 2002. A call came from Lofty Bardayal’s camp at Kabulwarnamyo suggesting that this ‘little bloke’ wanted painting materials. Later that year the National Gallery of Australia bought several works from his first show in Darwin. In late 2005 The Cross Art Projects premiered Nakadilinj’s paintings alongside works by his brother, the late Bob Wanurr Namundja. His art, like the man, leaves lasting impressions of a rare integrity. Don, an orphan, left his country when very young and grew up in the regional centres of Maningrida and Gunbalunya and, for a time, in Darwin leprosarium for treatment. He now travels as a single man throughout central Arnhem Land on senior ceremonial business and paints at Gamagowan outstation and Oenpelli.

ROBERT NAMARNYILK paints curved ancestral bodies with a wonderful flow but the figures are somewhat confronting. His work seems to reflect the vast energies needed to sustain the evenness of his line making. Robert was born at Mudjinberri Station in Kakadu National Park where his father drove cattle. When Robert’s father passed away, Jimmy Galareya Namarnyilk ensured Robert and his brothers attended periods of graded and formal ceremony. Robert seeks mainstream acceptance as an artist and a sustained life, but has been remanded in prison. This is his first solo exhibition. His true character is reflected in these works.

Conversation between curators Ace Bourke and Andrew Blake with Jimmy Galareya Namarnyilk and Don Nakadilinj

Ace Bourke is an independent curator and art historian specializing in colonial, indigenous and Australian art and their points of intersection and influences.

Andrew Blake was manager of Marrawuddi Gallery for several years where he initiated a powerful group of national exhibitions to introduce the work of this small group of senior rock artists to wider audiences. He has returned to Buku-Larrngay Mulka Art Centre at Yirkalla, where he initiated the major nationally touring exhibition ‘Saltwater: Yirkalla Bark Paintings of Sea Country’ (1999) now collection of the National Maritime Museum.’ His book about the contemporary Stone Country artists, entitled A Fine Tradition, will be published in 2007.

Thanks to Angus Pilakui and ERA mining for support for artists’ travel.

Presented in association with Marrawuddi Gallery

Operated by Djabulukgu Association Inc, a non-profit Aboriginal organisation
Kakadu National Park NT
T +61 (08) 89792777
Marrawuddi Gallery Manager, Fran Marsh: fran@marrawuddi.com
Curatorial trainee: Angus Pilakui
Andrew Blake, manager Yirkalla Arts E yirrkala-arts@octa4.net.au
More images: www.marrawuddi.com

Don, Angus and Jimmy with Opera House

Jimmy, Don and Angus with bridge

Jimmy, Don and Angus on the harbour

Visting AGNSW Angus Pilakui , jimmy Namrnyilk, Don Namundja and Hettie Perkins

The One Way team – Don Namundja, Jimmy Namarnyilk, Angus Pilakui and Andrew Blake (Robert Namarnyilk absent)

Don Nakadilinj Namundja Three Sacred Mankorlod Waterholes: surrounded by Livistona cabbage palm Djagnkele, 2006 (161482) 35 x 76cm

Don Nakadilinj Namundja Stone Tips, Dilly Bags, Leaf Fan, Stone and Tucker, 2003 (14786) 75 x 53cm