Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Paintings and Prints from the Thomas Vroom Collection

Emily Kame Kngwarreye Paintings and Prints from the Thomas Vroom Collection

Portrait of Emily Kame Kngwarreye, 1994 © Greg Weight/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

EMILY KAME KNGWARREYE Paintings & Prints from the Thomas Vroom Collection In association with TIM KLINGENDERFINE ART Exhibition 6 - 26 July 2016

Cover image: My Country I, December 1992, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 212 x 122cm © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

TIM KLINGENDERFINE ART PO Box 544 Double Bay NSW 1360 Australia | +61 413 202 434 | tim@timklingender.com | www.timklingender.com

Thomas and Ineke Vroom Â

The late Emily Kame Kngwarreye (c.1910-1996) is Australia’s most celebrated indigenous artist. This important collection of paintings and prints consists of 22 works from the Thomas Vroom Collection. Many have recently returned to Australia following a long-term loan to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

After first encountering Australian Indigenous art in New York in 1991, Thomas Vroom became passionately engaged in collecting Aboriginal art globally for the following two decades on an unprecedented level. He acquired important historical works at auction, tracked down and directly acquired old collections, bought contemporary works on his numerous trips to remote regions, from galleries in the capital cities throughout Australia, and from dealers internationally.

Without doubt, the artist that Vroom was most passionate about was Emily Kame Kngwarreye. On discovering her work in the early 1990’s, he famously drove 250km north east of Alice Springs to the artist’s community of Utopia and Delmore Downs station, arriving unannounced, in order to meet the artist.

Emily Kame Kngwarreye (c.1910-1996) was a senior member of the Anmatyerre community and resident at Utopia in the Northern Territory. Emily began painting on fabric in the batik technique in 1977 and later transitioned to painting on linen in 1988. Emily won the Australian Artist’s Creative Fellowship; Australia Council in 1992, in 1997 represented Australia in the Venice Biennale and has had major survey exhibitions across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Osaka and Tokyo.

1 Emu All Over, July 1990, inscribed at margin with artist's name and catalogue number OL07, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 151 x 121cm PROVENANCE Commissioned in July 1990 by Don and Janet Holt at Delmore Downs Station, Northern Territory Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Holt Collection The Thomas Vroom Collection LITERATURE Jennifer Isaacs, Emily Kame Kngwarreye Paintings, Craftsman House, New South Wales, 1998, p.53, pl.10 (illus.) © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

2 My Country I, December 1992, bears Delmore Gallery number on reverse, 92L084, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 212 x 122cm PROVENANCE Commissioned in December 1992 by Don and Janet Holt at Delmore Downs Station, Northern Territory Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Holt Collection The Thomas Vroom Collection LITERATURE Jennifer Isaacs, Emily Kame Kngwarreye Paintings, Craftsman House, New South Wales, 1998, p.98, pl.32 (illus.) Š Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

3 Untitled, January 1993, inscribed verso with artist’s name, Delmore Gallery, catalogue number 93A111, synthetic polymer paint on canvas 91 x 61cm PROVENANCE Commissioned in January 1993 by Don and Janet Holt at Delmore Downs Station, Northern Territory Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Thomas Vroom Collection On long term loan from the Vroom Collection to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, AAMU accession number 20.035 © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

4 Anooralya, February 1993, bears artist's name and Delmore Gallery number on reverse, 93BO83, synthetic polymer paint on linen, 91 x 61cm PROVENANCE Commissioned in February 1993 by Don and Janet Holt at Delmore Downs Station, Northern Territory Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory Coo-ee Aboriginal Art The Thomas Vroom Collection Š Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

5 The Anooralya Yam, March 1993 inscribed verso with artist’s name, Delmore Gallery, catalogue number 93C115, Synthetic polymer paint on canvas 91 x 61cm PROVENANCE Commissioned in March 1993 by Don and Janet Holt at Delmore Downs Station, Northern Territory Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory Thomas Vroom Collection On long term loan from the Vroom Collection to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, AAMU accession number 20.032 Accompanied by a Delmore Gallery certificate © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

6 Merne Everything, November 1993, inscribed verso with artist’s name, Delmore Gallery, catalogue number 93K014, Synthetic polymer paint on canvas 210.5 by 121.5cm PROVENANCE Commissioned in November 1993 by Don and Janet Holt at Delmore Downs Station, Northern Territory Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Holt Collection The Thomas Vroom Collection LITERATURE Jennifer Isaacs, Emily Kame Kngwarreye Paintings, Craftsman House, New South Wales, 1998, p.107, pl.40 (illus.) Š Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

7 State of My Country, 1994, screenprint, edition 46/99, signed lower right, 35 x 61cm PROVENANCE Published by Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Thomas Vroom Collection This screenprint is taken from the celebrated 1990 painting on canvas, State of My Country, from the Holt Collection.

“Whole lot, that’s whole lot. Awelye (my Dreaming), Arlatyeye (pencil yam), Arkerrthe (mountain devil lizard), Ntange (grass seed), Tingu (a Dreamtime pup), Ankerre (emu), Intekwe (a favourite food of emus, a small plant), Atnwerle (green bean), and Kame (yam seed). That’s what I paint: Whole lot” M. Boulter, The Art of Utopia: A New Direction in Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Craftsman House, Sydney, Sydney, 1991, p61 State of My Country is featured on the wrap around cover of the first monograph of the artist by Jennifer Isaacs, Emily Kame Kngwarreye Paintings, Craftsman House, New South Wales, 1998, p.22, illus. pl.13, pp.31, 58-9 and cover. © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

“In January 1994 Theo Tremblay and Studio One from Canberra visited Delmore Downs and facilitated Emily (and others) to produce a group of prints in silk screen, linocut and lithograph… The linocut was a somewhat different proposition. This, the precursor of later ‘line’ paintings, was painted onto the lino with Studio One later cutting away around the lines and executing the print.”

Jennifer Isaacs, Emily Kame Kngwarreye Paintings, Craftsman House, New South Wales, 1998, p.22, illus. p22

Emily at Delmore Downs painting Yam Dreaming onto lino for the linocut opposite, 1994 © Greg Weight/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

8 Yam Dreaming, 1994, linocut, edition 20/50, signed lower right, 76 x 56cm PROVENANCE Published by Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Thomas Vroom Collection © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

9 My Yam Country, c.1995, colour lithograph, edition 3/30, signed lower right, 68 x 81cm PROVENANCE Published by Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Thomas Vroom Collection © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

10 Merne Anooralya, June 1994, signed verso and inscribed with artist’s name, Delmore Gallery, catalogue number 94F005, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 122 x 91.5cm PROVENANCE Commissioned in June 1994 by Don and Janet Holt at Delmore Downs Station, Northern Territory Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Thomas Vroom Collection On long term loan from the Vroom Collection to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, AMMU Accession Number 20.053 Accompanied by Delmore Gallery certificate Š Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

11 Life Cycle III, July 1994, signed verso and inscribed with artist’s name, Delmore Gallery, catalogue number 94G016, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 121 x 91cm, PROVENANCE Commissioned in July 1994 by Don and Janet Holt at Delmore Downs Station, Northern Territory Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Thomas Vroom Collection On long term loan from the Vroom Collection to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, AMMU Accession Number 20.058 Accompanied by Delmore Gallery certificate © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

12 Awelye, August 1994, Inscribed verso with artist’s name, Delmore Gallery, catalogue number 94H063, Synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 151 x 91cm PROVENANCE Commissioned in August 1994 by Don and Janet Holt at Delmore Downs Station, Northern Territory Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Thomas Vroom Collection On long term loan from the Vroom Collection to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, AMMU Accession Number 20.061 Accompanied by Delmore Gallery certificate © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

13 Desert Flowers, February 1995, signed verso and inscribed with artist’s name, Delmore Gallery, catalogue number 95B023, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 152 x 91cm PROVENANCE Commissioned in February 1995 by Don and Janet Holt at Delmore Downs Station, Northern Territory Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Thomas Vroom Collection Long term loan to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, AAMU accession number 20.070 Accompanied by a Delmore Gallery certificate © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

14 Desert Lifecycle, February 1995, signed verso and inscribed with artsit's name, Delmore Gallery, catalogue number 95B032, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 151 x 91cm PROVENANCE Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Thomas Vroom Collection Long term loan to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, AAMU accession number 20.071 Accompanied by Delmore Gallery certificate © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

15 My Country I, April 1995, synthetic polymer paint on canvas 121.5 x 90cm PROVENANCE Commissioned at Utopia, Northern Territory by Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings, August 1995 The Thomas Vroom Collection Long term loan to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, AAMU accession number 20.076 Accompanied by photographic documentation of the artist painting this work and an Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings certificate of authenticity © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

16 My Country II, April 1995, synthetic polymer paint on canvas 121.5 x 90cm PROVENANCE Commissioned at Utopia, Northern Territory by Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings, August 1995 The Thomas Vroom Collection Long term loan to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, AAMU accession number 20.076 Accompanied by photographic documentation of the artist painting this work and an Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings certificate of authenticity © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

17 My Country III, April 1995, synthetic polymer paint on canvas 121 x 89.5cm PROVENANCE Commissioned at Utopia, Northern Territory by Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings, August 1995 The Thomas Vroom Collection Long term loan to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, AAMU accession number 20.076 Accompanied by photographic documentation of the artist painting this work and an Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings certificate of authenticity © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

18 My Country IV, April 1995, synthetic polymer paint on canvas 122 x 90cm PROVENANCE Commissioned at Utopia, Northern Territory by Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings, August 1995 The Thomas Vroom Collection Long term loan to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, AAMU accession number 20.076 Accompanied by photographic documentation of the artist painting this work and an Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings certificate of authenticity © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

19 My Country V, April 1995, synthetic polymer paint on canvas 122 x 91cm PROVENANCE Commissioned at Utopia, Northern Territory by Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings, August 1995 The Thomas Vroom Collection Long term loan to the Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, AAMU accession number 20.076 Accompanied by photographic documentation of the artist painting this work and an Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings certificate of authenticity © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

20 Abmigwa, Native Pine, 1995, colour serigraph, edition 34/100, signed lower right, 72 x 53cm PROVENANCE Published by Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Thomas Vroom Collection © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

21 Awelye, 1996, etching, edition 13/25, signed lower right, 49 x 39cm PROVENANCE Published by Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory The Thomas Vroom Collection © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016

Emily Kame Kngwarreye Paintings and Prints from the Thomas Vroom Collection 6 – 24 July 2016 View full exhibition and price list here.

TIM KLINGENDERFINE ART PO Box 544 Double Bay NSW 1360 Australia +61 413 202 434 | tim@timklingender.com | www.timklingender.com

63 Jersey Road Woollahra NSW 2025 Australia T. (02) 9327-3922 | info@olsenirwin.com | www.olsenirwin.com