january 14 - 20 | 2015
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Art of the outback By KYLIE WILSON
ART AFICIONADO:
Graham Whitehead with the first piece of Aboriginal art he ever purchased. Many pieces from his collection are currently on display at Wangaratta Art Gallery as part of the Namatjira and Beyond exhibition. PHOTO: Kylie Wilson
GARDENING WITH
SAM
RSPCA
FILM
PUSS
PAPER
WITH
RIN
PLANES
WINE TALK WITH
ANITA
HE was just a 16 year old suburban schoolboy when he first acquainted himself with the beauty and majesty of Alice Springs, but it is a time and a place Wangaratta’s Graham Whitehead will never forget. As well as the beauty of the landscape, he was transfixed by local Indigenous artists who would constantly be working to capture the beauty of the world around them. “It sparked my interest in art, in particular Aboriginal art,” said Graham, who particularly loved the work from the Hermannsburg school that Albert Namatjira was a part of, characterised by watercolors of western style landscapes depicting the striking colors of the Australian outback. Albert was taught by Rex Battarbee, before going on to become the most prominent Aboriginal artist of his time. “Albert encouraged a lot of others around him,” Graham said. “The whole family and extended family all started painting the same way. “They painted the icons of the area,” he said, including local mountains, rock formations, and the classic ghost gums. Graham returned to Alice Springs in 1969 to explore, and in 1973 he was able to transfer with his employer and live there for the next two years. continued page |
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