Spinifex Arts Project – Milpa Space

Milpa is an arts project run by the Spinifex Arts Project from Tjuntjuntjara Community in the Great Victoria Desert, Western Australia. The Milpa Project employs local artists and Community members on a project session basis to produce new artworks and gain professional skills in using multimedia to tell stories and share culture in local dialects using both Pitjantjatjara and sign language. Milpa or ‘telling story with wire’, is a metaphor for an arts-based media project that provides a space for a new generation of artists using new technologies to tell their stories, transmit culture and ideas in contemporary ways.

PITJANTJATJARA PEOPLE TJUNTJUNTJARA COMMUNITY

ARTISTS

Maureen Donegan Sophia Brown Michelle Anderson Timo Hogan

Facilitating Artist: Louise Allerton

MARA WANGKAPAI: TALKING WITH THE HANDS

Mara Wangkapai is a creative sign language project by next generation Spinifex artists. Artists have been experimenting with video to create new signing stories using Pitjantjatjara sign language, a way of talking with the hands. Some people can fully communicate without using words but most people use sign everyday as an addition to speech. These experimental videos represent the colourful way people use their hands, bodies and faces to communicate with others.

SOPHIA BROWN

LIVES AND WORKS Tjuntjuntjarra Sophia Brown is an artist and arts worker at Spinifex Arts Project. Sophia is in the early stages of a painting career and showing great promise, following on from her grandparents. She is currently working on the Mara WangkapaiPitjantjtjara hand signs project.

MICHELLE ANDERSON

BORN Tjuntjuntjara LIVES AND WORKS Tjuntjuntjarra LANGUAGE GROUP / PEOPLE Pitjantjtjara Michelle Anderson descends from a long line of successful Spinifex artists, crafts people, and traditional owners. She grew up at Connana and Tjuntjuntjara communities, playing an active role in cultural life and caring for Elders. She has recently been working at the Milpa Space and the Spinifex Arts Project engaging with photo media sign language stories. She is a fluent speaker of Pitjantjatjara.

Sophia Brown / Michelle Anderson

Tjapu-Tjapu, 2021 Single channel video 0m 32sec edition of 5

$2,500 REV22-122

MAUREEN DONEGAN

BORN Spinifex Country LIVES AND WORKS Tjuntjuntjarra LANGUAGE GROUP / PEOPLE Pitjantjtjara Maureen grew up on Spinifex Country, in the far east of WA. She has been painting and making craft objects for many years with the Women’s Centre at Tjuntjuntjara. She now works as an arts worker and painter at the Spinifex Arts Project Centre. She has recently worked at the Milpa Space on sign language video works. Maureen is a fluent Pitjantjtjara speaker, her first language.

LOUISE ALLERTON – FACILITATING ARTIST

LIVES AND WORKS Sydney Louise facilitated the first community Arts project at Tjuntjuntjara in 1997 which later became the acclaimed Spinifex Arts Project. She worked as facilitator/manager from 1997–2012, helping artists to produce artworks on Country at important cultural sites. Louise currently lives and works as an artist in Sydney but continues a strong connection to the Spinifex people and Country, facilitating Photomedia projects such as Mara Wangkapai, funded by an Australia Council grant.

Maureen Donegan / Louise Allerton

Tjitji Tjuta ankukula, 2021 Single channel video 0m 39sec edition of 5

$2,500 REV22-121

TIMO HOGAN

BORN Spinifex Country LIVES AND WORKS Tjuntjuntjarra Timo grew up in and around Spinifex Country, from Mt Margaret, Warburton to Tjuntjuntjara. He is a fluent speaker of three desert languages and is a leader amongst the younger generation of artists. After a break from painting due to cultural obligations Timo made a successful return with his 2019 work Lake Baker which was selected for the 2019 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Awards and won the 2021 award. He recently had a hugely acclaimed solo show at Outstation Gallery. Timo now paints full time with the Spinifex Arts Project and works with Milpa as a side project.

LOUISE ALLERTON – FACILITATING ARTIST

LIVES AND WORKS Sydney Louise facilitated the first community Arts project at Tjuntjuntjara in 1997 which later became the acclaimed Spinifex Arts Project. She worked as facilitator/manager from 1997–2012, helping artists to produce artworks on Country at important cultural sites. Louise currently lives and works as an artist in Sydney but continues a strong connection to the Spinifex people and Country, facilitating Photomedia projects such as Mara Wangkapai, funded by an Australia Council grant.

Timo Hogan / Louise Allerton

Nyura Pitjanyi, 2021 Single channel video 0m 43sec edition of 5

$2,500 REV22-120