BOB GIBSON TJUNGARRAYI Solo Exhibition
Aboriginal & Pacific Art is delighted to present
Bob Gibson Tjungarrayi Solo Exhibition in association with Tjarlirli Art, Tjukurla, Ngaanyatjarra Lands, WA
31 August - 25 September 2021
Cover page: Bob Gibson Tjungarrayi, Patjantja, 21-114KA, acrylic on canvas, 147.3 x 121.9 cm Next page: Image courtesy of Tjarlirli Art
Bob Gibson Tjungarrayi was born at Papaya in 1974, before moving with his family to Tjukurla during the Papunya Tula movement of the 1980s. Bob has been painting with Tjarlirli Art since 2007 and quickly found a unique rhythm and approach to painting; bold colours and an inimitable freedom, expressing ancient stories with contemporary flair. Bob’s work happens at a frenetic and decisive pace, dictating the drama and energy of his Tjukurrpa. Looking at a Bob Gibson painting feels a little like spending time with the artist himself. Bob’s bold, playful presence in the studio is contagious; each canvas brings wild shapes and expressive lines met with decisive mark-making and confident realisation of country. His highly unique representations of Tjukurrpa are an intersection of traditional storytelling and a spirited contemporary artistic practice. Bob is a vibrant character who is well loved within his community. He is a keen Sydney Swans supporter and loves listening to all music, rarely seen painting without music pumping through his headphones, especially the local bush bands. His work is important as it speaks to the complex layers, tensions, and confluence between cultural, historical, and modern influences.
Patjantja Acrylic on canvas, 121.9 x 91.4 cm 21-5KA
Patjantja
Bob is distinguished by the freedom of his composition and his stylistic application of colour, which happens at a frenetic and decisive pace. He carves up the canvas, creating wild shapes in an evocative and highly contemporary reinterpretation of country. Bob enjoys telling the stories from his father’s country around Patjarr and his mother’s country Kulkurta. This work is about two snakes and two men who travelled north to Karrkurinkitja. As the party travelled, some strangers came up behind them and the snakes fled. Then Kurningka (boss of the Tingari men) went looking. The clouds were coming towards them. The snakes were travelling fast and the water was rising, and the lady snake went in the ant’s hole but the other snake was left outside. Kurningka was saying, ‘water is coming closer’ but the other snake was too big for the hole. The Kurningka cut the snake and a lot of fat came out. The free brush strokes and loose lines evident in this canvas dance around each other displaying the distinctive and compelling liveliness of his work.
Patjantja Acrylic on canvas, 121.9 x 91.4 cm 21-93KA
Patjantja Acrylic on canvas, 177.8 x 147.3 cm 21-2KA
Patjantja Acrylic on canvas, 147.3 x 147.3 cm 21-356KA
Patjantja Acrylic on canvas, 147.3 x 147.3 cm 21-255KA
Patjantja Acrylic on canvas, 147.3 x 121.9 cm 21-114KA
Patjantja Acrylic on canvas, 121.9 x 91.4 cm 21-94KA
Patjantja Acrylic on canvas, 121.9 x 91.4 c 20-965KA
cm
Patjantja Acrylic on canvas, 121.9 x 91.4 cm 20-964KA
m
Patjantja Acrylic on canvas, 177.8 x 147.3 cm 21-283KA
Image courtesy of Tjarlirli Art
Bob Gibson Tjungarrayi Biography Skin: Tjungurrayi Language: Ngaanyatjarra Pintupi Home: Tjukurla : WA DOB: 9/11/1974 Bob Gibson Tjungarrayi was born at Papaya in 1974, before moving with his family to Tjukurla during the Papunya Tula movement of the 1980s, where many Ngaanyatjarra people moved to be closer to their ancestral homelands. Bob’s mother Mary Gibson, also a leading Tjarlirli artist, is from the country of Kulkurta, his father’s country was near Patjarr. Bob has been painting with Tjarlirli Art since 2007 and quickly found a unique rhythm and approach to painting; bold colours and an inimitable freedom, expressing ancient stories with contemporary flair. Bob is a vibrant character who is well loved within his community and offers support to many family members. He is a keen Sydney Swans supporter and loves listening to all music, especially the local bush bands. Looking at a Bob Gibson painting feels a little like spending time with the artist himself. Bob’s bold, playful presence in the studio is contagious; each canvas brings wild shapes and expressive line met with decisive mark-making and confident realisation of country. His highly unique representations of tjukurpa are an intersection of traditional storytelling and a spirited contemporary artistic practice. This work is important as it speaks to the complex layers and tensions between cultural, historical and modern influences. SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2010 2009
Unknown Solo/ Indigenart Gallery Perth
GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2021 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2019 2019 2019 2018
Zeitreise: 15 Jahre Aboriginal Art in Freiburg, ARTKELCH, Freiburg, Germany Desert Mob 2020, Alice Springs Tjukurla Masters - Yaama Ganu Salon Des Refuses 2020 Rawa Titungarala - Artsource WA Smart Art, ARTKELCH, Freiburg, Germany Adazzle Exhibition - JGM Gallery London Desert Mob 2019 36th Telstra NATSIAA Awards 2019 - Finalist Port Hedland Art Award - Finalist
GROUP EXHIBITIONS CONTINUED.. 2018 2018 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 2013 2010 2010 2009 2009 2009
Desert Mob 2018 Albany Art Prize - Finalist, Albany NGURRA: Home in the Nganyatjarra Lands, South Australian Museum, Adeliade Desert Mob Exhibition, Araluen Gallery Salon De Refuse, Darwin Tjukurla Tjukurrpa, Aboriginal and Pacific Art, Sydney Flight Exhibition, FORM Gallery, Perth Farben der Wüste, ARTKELCH @ Teppichhaus Jordan, Waldshut-Tiengen, Germany Raft South Artspace Desert Mob 2016 Salon Des Refuses Aboriginal and Pacific Art, Sydney Sag mir wo die Punkte sind…, ARTKELCH, Freiburg, Germany Sehverlust und Sinneslust, ARTKELCH, Germany art Karlsruhe 2016, ARTKELCH @ art Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany PRO COMMUNITY – Ngaanyatjarra Lands, Touring Exhibition, Germany - ARTKELCH Palya - Vivien Anderson Gallery Tunbridge Gallery, Perth Desert Mob 2015 - Araluen Gallery Port Hedland Courthouse Gallery NATSIAA 2015 - Museum & Gallery of Northern Territory Recent Works from Tjarlirli Art- RAFT Artspace Western Desert Mob- Paintings from Tjarlirli and Warakurna- Harvey Art Projects US Warakurna Artists and Tjarlirli Art- Vivien Anderson Gallery Desert Mob 2014 Salon Des Refuses- Outstation Gallery Our Home in Colour- Outstation Gallery Living Spirit- Marshall Art The Wild Ones, RAFT Art Space Desert Mob Exhibtion 2013- Aruluen Arts Centre Alice Spings Telstra NATSIAA 2013 Seeing Beyond, Marshall Arts Tjarlirli Group Show, Merenda Gallery Fremantle Desert Mob Exhibition - Araluen Arts Centre Alice Springs Desert Mob/ Araluen Gallery Alice Springs Western Desert Mob Emerging Artists/ Outstation Gallery Darwin Tjarlirli Group Show/ Tunbridge Gallery Margaret River
COLLECTIONS
Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art, GOMA Aquired for the Artbank Collection in 2013 via Telstra NATSIAA W & V McGeoch Collection SOUTH AUSTRALIA MUSEUM Sammlung Alison und Peter W. Klein, Nussdorf, Germany
AWARDS
2021 Bayside Art Award Finalist 2019 NATSIAA Finalist 2018 Albany Art Prize - Finalist
BOB GIBSON TJUNGARRAYI Solo Exhibition 31 August - 25 September 2021
Aboriginal & Pacific Art, Sydney in association with Tjarlirli Art, Tjukurla, Ngaanyatjarra Lands, WA
All images and text copyright the Artist and Tjarlirli Art, Tjukurla, Ngaanyatjarra Lands, WA Courtesy of the Artist and Tjarlirli Art, Tjukurla, Ngaanyatjarra Lands, WA
Aboriginal & Pacific Art, 1/24 Wellington Street, Waterloo, NSW, 2017 Australia Ph: +61 2 9699 2211 E: info@aboriginalpacificart.com.au W: www.aboriginalpacificart.com.au