L O O K A G A I N - Wa k a r t u C o r y S u r p r i s e R A F T A R T S P A C E . J U N E 1 0 - J U LY 1 , 2 0 1 7
WARARTU CORY SURPRISE
c1929 - 2011
W i r y a n d w i s e , Wa k a r t u w a s a wo n d e r f u l Wa l m a j a r r i wo m a n wh o c o u l d p a i n t . T h e practice became a passion for her in the mid 1980s when she was a student at K a r r ay i l i A d u l t E d u c a t i o n C e n t r e i n F i t z r oy C r o s s i n g . T h e c e n t r e u s e d d r aw i n g a n d t h e n p a i n t i n g a s a w ay t o e n h a n c e i t s l i t e r a c y a n d n u m e r a c y c l a s s e s . Wa k a r t u ’s e a r l i e r wo r k s we r e s t r o n g l y g u i d e d by t h e s t o r y t e l l i n g t h a t s h e a n d h e r p e e r s d eve l o p e d a t t h e B ay u l u c o m m u n i t y a n n e x e o f K a r r ay i l i . S h e p a i n t e d s t o r i e s o f s t a t i o n eve n t s a l o n g w i t h t h o s e o f h e r l i f e i n t h e d e s e r t . T h e p l ay f u l c a s t o f her marks and stories, in her earlier works are evident in 338-05 and 308-06. The works on paper that show the softer marks afforded by finer paint dilutions and t h e c o m p a r a t i ve l i g h t n e s s o f t h e gr o u n d gave w ay t o a n i n t e n s i t y o n h e r c a nva s e s , built by pulling and pushing the paint with a heavily laden br ush. Dispensing with a p a l e t t e , Wa k a r t u o f t e n s q u e e z e d t h e p a i n t d i r e c t l y o n t o t h e s u r f a c e , m ov i n g t h e p i g m e n t w i t h a f o r c e n o t p r e s e n t i n h e r wo r k s o n p a p e r. U n t i t l e d wo r k s 2 5 3 - 1 4 a n d 900-10 are clear examples here. In her later works she also became enmeshed in the process of painting . Paint moved from the canvas and her br ush onto her skir t and limbs to be redeposited as gestural r e f e r e n c e t o t h e p hy s i c a l i t y o f h e r e n ga ge m e n t w i t h t h e p a i n t . I t w a s n o t a n e g l e c t of technique but the viscosity and richness of the paint and an intensity of focus conspiring against crispness of line or form. As she began to build a work, she most often blocked in bands of colour that marked the p a i n t e d g r o u n d i n t h e s a m e w a y a s t h e j i l j i ( s a n d h i l l s ) d i v i d e h e r c o u n t r y. J i l j i a r e f i x e d . They lie in the landscape in patter ns and configurations that are immovable. S o m e f a l l
253-14. acrylic on canvas. 60x60cm. 2014.
into long parallel for mation, trapping water between them as in the blue band in Pirnti 18-08 and Long Jila 1178-08. In other areas, the jilji fall in tangled maze like configurations that confounded those who came as visitors, as the waterholes we r e h a r d t o l o c a t e . Wa k a r t u t r a n s c r i b e d t h e s e f o r m a t i o n s i n wo r k s s u c h a s P i r r m a l 985-08 and Nimpi 602-09. The tangle of jilji presented challenges that gave childhood an edge, one that relied on the commitment to memory of the form and pattern of the land and waters. Such i n c i s i ve l o c k i n g i n o f m e m o r y o f p l a c e m ay h ave b e e n t h e r e s u l t o f a n e a r m i s s o f p e r i s h i n g f r o m l a c k o f w a t e r, a s m a ny o f t h e s e n i o r a r t i s t s wo u l d r e c a l l . T h e wo r k s m a r k o u t p l a c e a n d j o u r n ey i n g t o p l a c e , a s Wa k a r t u c o m m e n t s ‘ we w a l k t o h e r e a n d f r o m h e r e ’ P i r n t i 1 8 - 0 8 . T h e p a t t e r n o f m ove m e n t aw ay f r o m a n d b a c k t o c a m p e a c h d a y c o m m i t t e d s u c h d e t a i l e d t o p o g r a p h i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n t o m e m o r y, f o r s u r v i v a l . In several works she has also painted the waterhole but the long parallel bands bring us back to the fact that these works are about walking to and from named p l a c e s . T h e w a t e r h o l e s a r e n o t t h e r e i n t h e f r a m e wh e n yo u a r e w a l k i n g t o o r f r o m a place. The space that that allows when walking through these works frees one from t h e c o n s t r a i n t s o f b e i n g i n a ny p l a c e . T h e s e wo r k s a n d Wa k a r t u , a r e t a k i n g yo u t h e r e . I t i s f a s c i n a t i n g t o s e e t h e s e wo r k s a s c o n t e m p o r a r y m a r ke r s o f Wa k a r t u ’s l i f e i n a n d a r o u n d j i l a Ta p u . F o r h e r , t h e r e m e m b e r i n g o f t h e s e f o r m a t i o n s w a s n o t m e r e r e m i n i s c i n g o r n o s t a l g i a . W h i l e t h e s k i l l o f l i v i n g i n c o u n t y i s v a s t l y d i f f e r e n t n o w, h e r m a r k s m a p s a f e p a s s a ge , i n a w ay t h a t G P S c o o r d i n a t e s d o f o r t h e r a n ge r s wh o v i s i t Ta p u n o w. T h e w a t e r h o l e s i t s w i t h i n a n I n d i g e n o u s P r o t e c t e d A r e a w h e r e t h e y continue to look after it. KAREN DAYMAN 2017
‘NGAJUKURA’. 900-10. acrylic on canvas. 60x60cm. 2010.
‘JILJI’. 464-09. acrylic on canvas. 120x180cm. 2009.
‘LONG JILA’. 1178-08. acrylic on canvas. 120x180cm. 2008.
103-09. acrylic on canvas. 120x120cm. 2009.
733-09. acrylic on canvas. 120x120cm. 2009.
‘PAPARRKARRA WARLA ’. 457-09. acrylic on canvas. 120x120cm. 2009.
‘PINTIRRI’. 928-10. acrylic on canvas. 120x120cm. 2009.
‘NIMPI’. 602-09. acrylic on canvas. 90x120cm. 2009.
1016-08. acrylic on canvas. 90x120cm. 2008.
598-08. acrylic on canvas. 90x120cm. 2008.
‘PIRNTI’. 18-08. acrylic on canvas. 90x120cm. 2008.
‘WARLA COUNTRY’. 321-11. acrylic on canvas. 90x120cm. 2011.
‘PIRRMARL’. 985-08. acrylic on canvas. 90x120cm. 2009.
567-11. acrylic on canvas. 90x90cm. 2011.
‘PIRRMAL’. 492-10. acrylic on canvas. 90x90cm. 2010.
‘MYDA’. 807-08. acrylic on paper. 56x76cm. 2008.
‘PALAJA PAMARR AND JIWARI’. 257-06. acrylic on paper. 53x76cm. 2006.
‘PIRRMAL’. 164-04. acrylic on paper. 56x76cm. 2004.
338-05. acrylic on paper. 53x76cm. 2005.
LOOK AGAIN T h e f i r s t t i m e I e n c o u n t e r e d t h e wo r k by Wa k a r t u C o r y S u r p r i s e a n d t h e a r t o f F i t z r oy C r o s s i n g w a s wh e n K a r e n D ay m a n v i s i t e d o u r h o u s e i n D a r w i n w i t h a c l u t c h o f wo r k s on paper under her ar m. Karen was then the manager of Mangkaja Ar ts and was h o l d i n g p a i n t i n g s by Pa j i H o n ey c h i l d , S t u m py B r ow n , D o l l y S n e l l a n d Wa k a r t u . I t w a s 1 9 9 2 a n d I h a d n o t l o n g m ove d N o r t h a n d h a d n o t ye t e n ga ge d i n t h e d i ve r s i t y o f a r t by Indigenous ar tists, so I really had no idea what I was looking at. What I also did not realise at the time was that my education had just begun A l m o s t a d e c a d e l a t e r w h e n P e t e r A d s e t t a n d I h a d l a u n c h e d R A F T, I b e g a n t a l k i n g to Karen about showing work from Mangkaja Arts. It was an exhibition in 2003, ‘ M a n g k a j a Wo m e n ’ wh e n I a ga i n e n c o u n t e r e d t h e wo r k by Wa k a r t u a l o n g w i t h N a d a R aw l i n s , S t u m py B r ow n , Pa j i H o n ey c h i l d Ya n k a r r a n d M o l l y R o ge r s . I l ove d t h e wo r k by a l l t h e wo m e n b u t i t w a s Wa k a r t u I eve n t u a l l y c o n n e c t e d w i t h a n d t h i s w a s t h e f i r s t o f m a ny e x h i b i t i o n s h e l d by R A F T f e a t u r i n g h e r wo r k i n c l u d i n g s eve r a l s o l o s h ow s . Wa k a r t u ’s p a i n t i n g s a r e a l w ay s c o m p e l l i n g i n t h e i r b o l d u n c o n t r i ve d e x e c u t i o n . I have visited homes of collectors to see her paintings in pride of place more than holding up with the sur rounding work. Obviously there is something understated but powerful operating i n h e r p a i n t i n g s . I t i s a n e l u s i v e t h i n g we a l l l o o k f o r, a c e r t a i n m a g i c t h a t s o m e w o r k s h a v e over others. I t w a s Wa k a r t u ’s a b i l i t y t o l o a d t h e w o r k t h r o u g h t h e m e d i u m o f p a i n t t h a t i s t h e s t r e n g t h u n d e r l y i n g t h i s p owe r, e s s e n t i a l l y t h e wo r k s a r e a b o u t t h e p r o c e s s . They are not simplistic representations of place.
K a r e n t a l k s a b o u t t h i s p r o c e s s w i t h p a i n t i n h e r e s s a y. W a k a r t u i s a c t u a l l y t a k i n g t h e v i e w e r o n a j o u r n e y t h r o u g h h e r c o u n t r y, w a l k i n g f r o m w a t e r h o l e t o w a t e r h o l e . I f e e l f o r t u n a t e t o h ave c o n n e c t e d w i t h Wa k a r t u , s h e w a s c l e ve r, ge n e r o u s a n d e x u d e d an unconditional love to all who crossed her path. Sadly she is gone now and this s h ow is a tribute to her and her journey through painting. W ith this exhibition, I propose we look again or more to the point, keep looking and e n ga ge t h e wo r k by Wa k a r t u C o r y S u r p r i s e . T h e r e i s a j o u r n ey t h e r e f o r u s a l l . DALLAS GOLD 2017
‘WANTIJARRI JUMU’. 308-06. acrylic on paper. 45x72cm. 2006.
‘MAYRTA PAMARR & JILA’. 458-09. acrylic on canvas. 120x120cm. 2009.
Wakartu Cory Surprise and Bullen Rogers. Photo: Stephen Oxenbury
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