2020 Our Art Makes Us Happy (we hope it makes you happy too!)

Tangentyere Artists

Our Art Makes Us Happy (we hope it makes you happy too!)

Aboriginal & Pacific Art in association with Yarrenyty Arltere Artists and Tangentyere Artists, Alice Springs, NT:

Our Art Makes Us Happy (we hope it makes you happy too!)

Works on paper by Trudy Inkamala, Softs sculptures by Yarrenyty Arltere Artists And paintings by Tangentyere Artists, Alice Springs, NT

22 October – 14 November 2020

Sally M Nangala Mulda Taxi Drop at Town Camp #10949-20 Acrylic on linen 56.5 x 56 cm

Night time. No power card. People sleeping outside. We will get power card on pay day.

Dog sleep too. Day time.

Two woman eating bacon and egg orange drink and coca cola drink too at Town Camp.

Sally M Nangala Mulda Nighttime and Daytime at Town Camp #10955-20 Acrylic on linen 89.5 x 45 cm

Night time. No power card.

People sleeping outside. We will get power card on pay day.

Dog sleep too. Day time.

Two woman eating bacon and egg orange drink and coca cola drink too at Town Camp.

Sally M Nangala Mulda Abbotts Camp #10965-20 Acrylic on linen 122 x 51 cm

This is old Days. These People are coming back to the camp after a long time gone.

Families happy they are back.

Nyinta Donald This is Old Days #11092-20 Acrylic on linen 89.2 x 44.5 cm

There are thirteen wiltjas (humpies) and forty two Anangu. And there are puli pulka (lots of mountains). And wati tjuta kukaku ankupi.

(Many men cooking meat.)

Nyinta Donald In the Old Days #10822-20 Acrylic on linen 121 x 39 cm

‘There is six men with horses - six women with coolamon - carry them - bush tucker. Lots of birds - different - different. It’s raining making them happy. This is Napperby - little hills here [in the foreground] blue mountains behind. Cowboys are stopping. One asking another ‘Give me cigarette?’ [The man second from left is asking the man on the left]. They stopped - looking at those women walking by.

Might be a love story...’

Grace Kemarre Robinya Laramba – Might be a Love Story #10670-20 Acrylic on linen 56 x 56 cm

Ten men and boys – five from Hermannsburg and another five from Laramba. These bush races Wallace Rockhole side.

Everyone sittng under trees with the bush tucker - Kutjera [bush raisin] – women and children, some got no children - all sittng down. They all excited – big noise – men and boys riding fast.

That bush racing happens every year. Everyone gets all dressed up cowboy style. Big community party after races. Lots of families all together.

Grace Kemarre Robinya Bush Races, Wallace Rockhole side #10789-20 Acrylic on linen 67.5 x 67.5 cm

‘People there all sitting round, waiting for them to open the shop so they can go in, do their shopping. Pension Day. Busy one. Lots of cars and people around - come in from all the Outstations too. Might be planning picnics down the creek, or sitting down with family in town instead. Papa [dogs] and tjitji [kids]too. Everyone happy. Lots of talking stories together with family, cousins, aunties, uncles, sitting down together.’ Titjikala is a remote Indigenous community 130 km south of Alice Springs where Doris lived for many years before moving to Alice Springs for health reasons.

Doris Thomas Titjikala Shop #10946-20 Acrylic on linen 90 x 60 cm

These days were when the first proper houses made from tin were built at Titjikala community. Before this our village on Maryvale Station was just a big mob of humpies. Then I think the early 1980s these tin shed houses were built. Before then we had no tap, no electricity, no nothing. Just had humpies. No power -only candles, when we had them. Cooking by the fire. We had a big mob of camels - my father was cameleer, but no one had cars. Then they built these proper houses. They were really hot though. No fans or aircon then... proper hot they were.

Doris Thomas First Proper Tin Sheds, Titjikala #10217-19 Acrylic on linen 122 x 66 cm

‘...Everyone from all around Outstations and in town - drive down to the main street in town on Pension Day. They visit Centrelink, do their banking at the Community Store, do their shopping, visit the nurse at the Health Centre, or the Doctor if he’s visiting. People visit each other, and they visit the art centre, where I used to paint. All the dogs follow everyone around town. They’re looking for treats. Everyone is happy to be there. The day sees everyone smiling, dogs too! There’s lots of cars, lots of people, lots of babies, lots of kids, and lots of dogs. Everyone is smiling. The streets are busy. It feels really good to see everyone out and about.

And then at night-time, same day, everyone goes to sing along, in language - Pitjantjatjara - at the Lutheran Church – singing Gospel.

That feeling in my chest – feels really good – when everyone is singing together. The music goes right through me. Then singing finished until next time. Everyone goes home until next time. Everyone settles into sleepy time again.

As soon as mobile dialysis services are here, I’ll be going back there to visit, and I can enjoy Pension Day, and singing Gospel in language with community, again.’

Doris Thomas Day and Night, Titjikala Pension Day #10712-20 Acrylic on linen 122 x 66 cm * Currently exhibited at the Art Gallery of NSW in the Sulman Prize.

This artwork will be available once the exhibition has finished.

Tangentyere Artists Alice Springs, NT

Around 400 artists make up Tangentyere Artists, an Aboriginal owned art centre based in Alice Springs.

The unique quality of Tangentyere Artists is that it represents the breadth and depth of Central Australian cultural diversity. Hence there is a huge diversity in style and story, as well as medium, ranging from acrylic painting on canvas through to paintings on recycled metal objects and wooden surfaces.

The works range from very traditional motifs to highly contemporary modern depictions of life. Increasingly Tangentyere Artists is becoming known for figurative paintings on canvas and metal, with references ranging from the purely descriptive to the political.

Many wonderful stories arise out of the sometimes difficult conditions of the Town Camps. And we are very pleased to be able to share them with you to show that Town Camp homes are important places in which real people live their lives, positive places, worthy of the respect that any person and their home deserves. Our art centre provides a platform from which artists can express themselves, their lives and cultural values, while enriching their community well being and family livelihoods. Š Tangentyere Artists

Our Art Makes Us Happy (we hope it makes you happy too!)

22 October – 14 November 2020

Aboriginal & Pacific Art, Sydney in association with Yarrenyty Arltere Artists and Tangentyere Artists, Alice Springs, NT

All images copyright the Artists.

Courtesy of the artists and Yarrenyty Arltere Artists and Tangentyere Artists

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