Art, words and photos from Central Australian Aboriginal Art Centres Quarterly edition, Summer 2023
THE DESART RADAR
Desert Mob 2023 Wrap Up The 32nd annual edition of Desert Mob featured the work of 35 Aboriginal art centres from across Central Australia. Along with the exhibition and online gallery in our new dedicated website desertmob.com, the program included the Symposium, Marketplace, Studio visit to the Hermannsburg Potters, and a suite of workshops and satellite events. A new program, Desert Mob After Dark, featuring an evening of music, food and art, was held in the final week of the exhibition with Casii Williams and Dave Crowe. Music and dance kicked off Desert Mob with Eastern Arrernte Band performing on the opening night and Toni Lord x GUTS Dance opening the Symposium. In 2023, Desart celebrates 30 years of advocacy for independently governed art centres. Since incorporation in 1993, membership has grown to include 38 art centres spanning the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. As well as including the works of art centres from local Mparntwe-based collectives to some of the most remote communities in the country, Ltyentye Apurte Traditional Craft Centre exhibited in Desert Mob for first time. Art centres play a vital role in the continuing on of culture, offering culturally appropriate, sustainable and resilient community models to support myriad contemporary artistic expressions grounded in diverse cultural traditions. As Yarrenyty Arltere Artists’ Louise Robertson notes, It means so much to me. The art room is a small place, but it can make a big change in people’s lives and can make ideas and dreams come alive. – Louise Robertson, Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, Desert Mob 2023 catalogue p23
Image: Desert Mob opening night. Photo by Rhett Hammerton.
Image: Donald Thompson. Photo by Benjamin Bradley.
Celebrations at the Annual Artali Festival On August 1st Arlpwe Art and Culture Centre hosted the Artali Festival, an annual event celebrating the shared culture and histories of Alekarenge/Ali Curung’s four main tribes – Kaytetye, Alyawarr, Warlpiri and Warumungu. This year, five dance groups participated in Artali including singers and dancers from Ampilatwatja and Tennant Creek. In addition, the community put on a big feed of damper, ‘roo tail and stew, invited the CLC Voice To Parliament team and Water Justice Project to present to the community on pressing issues and witnessed the Ali Curung debut of the community’s larger-than-life cheeky dog puppet! The community then moved from the dance grounds to the basketball court for a concert with local bands AC Reggae and Desert Eagles Band as well as PJ Reggae from Ti Tree and Reggae All Stars from Papunya. Arlpwe board member Sonya Murphy outlines the importance of the Artali festival for culture in Alekarenge/Ali Curung, saying - We have it every year, it’s important for our young generation, teaching the young ones. When we have it every year, they see, when they’re getting older every year they learn. That’s why the corroboree is important. So they can carry that culture on.
Book launch ‘Sun & Shadow: Art of the Spinifex People’ Spinifex Arts Project recently launched their new publication Sun & Shadow: Art of the Spinifex People at RAFT Artspace in Mparntwe/Alice Springs during Desert Mob 2023. Wheelchairs, swags and books in tow, senior and emerging artists from Spinifex Arts Project drove the two and half day journey to Mparntwe to share the powerful history and stories of their people. On the night, Byron Brooks graced the room with his knowledge of country and Ned. Grant filled the night with his song and laughter. ‘That night the building was full-up. I saw my paintings up on that wall and it made me feel really happy, really proud’, said Noli Rictor. Spinifex artists Ned Grant, Byron Brooks, Noli Rictor, Katie Brown, Jessica Brown, Pamela Hogan, Ningbell Lyons were also in attendance. Contributors Scott Cane, Ian Baird and editors John Carty and Luke Scholes spoke of their relationships with Tjuntjuntjara mob. The Spinifex artists headed back after celebrating their significant histories and culture with a visceral buzz that persisted through a long journey home.
Image: (inset) Noli Rictor (signing book) and (bottom L – R) Noli Rictor, Debbie Hansen, Byron Brooks. Photos by Olivia Sproull.
Sculpture by Louise Robertson – Yarrenyty Arltere Artists ‘It means so much to me. The art room is a small place, but it can make a big change in people’s lives and can make ideas and dreams come alive’. – Louise Robertson, Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, Desert Mob 2023 catalogue p23 Image: Desert Mob 2023 installation view with Two Sisters 2023 by Louise Robertson, Tjulpa by Dulcie Sharpe of Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, and Yankirri (Emu)Jukurrpa at Ngarlikirlangu by Lloyd Jampijinpa Brown of Warlukurlangu Artists. Photo: Rhett Hammerton.
NGA honours Emily Kam Kngwarray The National Gallery of Australia’s retrospective exhibition of the work of Emily Kam Kngwarray is its major summer exhibition for 2023-2024. Presented in collaboration with Utopia Art Centre and Desart and curated by Kelli Cole and Hetti Perkins, the exhibition has been developed in consultation with the artist’s family. ‘Mwerr arrantherr apetyem, painting nhenh-rnem aretyek, arelh ampwa Kam Kngwarray-kenh. Mer anyent Alhalker impen anwekakerrenh. Iteth-antey ra anetyel. Inkwerelhemel arenherrarey painting nhenh arelh ampwekenh, mer anwekakerrenhel anganek. Angka rarl angketyel anem renh awenharey, an awely kwerenh anem awenharey aylelhetyelarl’. You are all welcome to come and look at these paintings, old woman Kam Kngwarray’s paintings. Our Alhalker Country is really important for all of us. It will always be alive. The old woman’s paintings have their origins in our Country, and we hope that you all enjoy looking at them. Listen to the stories she tells, and the women’s songs she sings. – Jedda Kngwarray Purvis, Utopia Art Centre
Image: Kelli Cole, Curator Special Projects, National Gallery of Australia, Josie Petyarr Kunoth (standing), Jedda Kngwarray Purvis, Judy Kngwarray Greenie and Jean Kngwarray Long (seated), visiting the Janet Holmes à Court Collection in Boorloo / Perth, March 2023. Photo by Sophia Lunn, courtesy Utopia Art Centre.
Ernabella Arts celebrate 20 years of ceramics In recognition of the 20th anniversary since ceramics commenced at Ernabella Arts, Alison Milyika Carroll was invited to open Desert Mob 2023 and the Ernabella artists led a workshop during the Marketplace. ‘Ernabella Arts has been working with Desert Mob for a long time, since the beginning. Every year Desert Mob is there for artists and art centres from all over WA, SA and NT. We all come together, bringing our artworks to show everybody. Lots of good things happen every year with Desert Mob, we’re showing our works and meeting with all the other artists and art centres. Ernabella Arts started working in ceramics twenty years ago. We put our tjukurpa and our walka on the ceramics. The stories come from the ground, from the earth. We pass these stories onto our children and our grandchildren, the same way those old ladies showed us what to do when we were young. Everyone loves working with ceramics – young and old, they are always happy in the studio’. – Alison Milyika Carroll, Ernabella Arts Images: (top) Alison Milyika Carroll opening Desert Mob 2023. Photo by Rhett Hammerton, (bottom) Rupert Jack, Ernabella studio. Photo by Rowena Withers.
Cultural Couture on the Desert Mob runway With the welcome return of the Desert Mob Symposium for the first time since 2019, two art centres showcased their recent forays into fashion. The Ewyenper Atwatye (Hidden Valley) artists of Tangentyere Artists premiered their collaborative range with Aboriginal-owned social enterprise Magpie Goose. Debuted with the Inarlenge (Echidna) design by Christopher McMillan, the range encapsulates the ethos of ‘stories to wear’. The daughters and granddaughters of Yarrenyty Arltere Artists Marlene Rubuntja, Louise Robertson, Dulcie Sharpe, Rhonda Sharpe, Beth Ebatarinja and Vanessa Splinter introduced their latest limited edition wearable art, developed and made in their art centre in Mparntwe. Complete with accessories designed and made by the artists, the models brought their cultural couture to the catwalk as a stunning finale to the 2023 Symposium. Earlier in the day, the Symposium hosted the local premiere of Arrkutja Tharra, Kungka Kutjara, Two Girls, an animated ‘biopic’ of a childhood friendship rekindled in later years. Yarrenyty Arltere’s Marlene Rubuntja and Tangentyere Artists member Sally M Mulda shared their story as part of a commission from ACMI and Artbank.
Image: Marlene Rubuntja and Aspen Beattie (L-R) Marlene holds sculpture in progress while Aspen models hat, dress and bag by Marlene Rubuntja. Photo by Rhett Hammerton.
ISSN 2209-7988
25-27 March
Desart Art Centre Conference
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