TAMBARAN GALLERY
ART OF THE FIRST MAN
AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
The Art of the First Man
An Exhibition of Bark Paintings and Contemporary Australian Indigenous Aboriginal Art
September 17, 2024
TAMBARAN GALLERY
5 East 82nd Street
New York, NY 10028
Cover Artwork:
Tjala Women’s Collaborative Minyma Tjukurpa, 2017
Acrylic on Canvas
94.5 x 78.75 inches
Purchased in 2017 the “The Desert Mob” - ARALUEN
Tjala Women’s Collaborative - Minyma Tjukurpa
In this painting Wawiriya Burton, Freda Brady, Sandra Ken, Mary Pan, Iluwanti Ken, Sharon Ken, Christy Young, Barbara Moore, Yaritji Young, Maringka Tunkin and Lisa Ken have depicted their country. The different colours and designs represent variations in the landscape.
This is a women’s canvas. Senior women teach young women through large collaborative paintings, sharing Tjukurpa and stories. By coming together and working across generations, they recreate the traditional teaching hierarchy of Anangu culture. In the past, these exchanges would have occurred during hunting trips; however, through their painting, the senior women have created a space to teach young women about culture and train them as artists.
Tjala Arts
Tjala Arts is located at Amata Community, in the far northwest of South Australia. It is an Aboriginal owned and managed corporation that sells artwork on behalf of its members. Since its foundation in 1999 (originally as Minymaku Arts) Tjala Arts has concentrated on adapting traditional aboriginal symbols and designs to create contemporary abstract imagery. The centre provides an opportunity for the Anangu (Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal people) to develop skills in fine art and regional craft production. The art centre also plays a significant role in the well-being of the community and maintaining culture and law.
Footnote
We extend our deepest gratitude to the First Nations communities in Australia for their invaluable contributions to art and culture. Despite the impacts of colonization and displacement, Indigenous artists have continued to share their traditions, stories, and wisdom, enriching the global artistic community with their unique perspectives. We honor their resilience and generosity in preserving and sharing their heritage. This publication respectfully acknowledges references to people who have passed away, in line with permissions granted by the community.
Credits
Photophapy by Masaki Hori
Design by Paola Gallio
A
Tribute to Family, Friends, and the Legacy of Maureen Zarember: A Journey in Art and Stories
As a fifth-generation Australian, my story is deeply intertwined with the land and the First Peoples of the desert. From a young age, I was captivated by the world of tribal art, a passion that led me to open my gallery, Tambaran, on Madison Avenue in 1978. My grandfather and great-grandfather were Irish and, as such, masterful storytellers who ignited my imagination with tales of far-off lands, both real and fantastical. These stories, woven from their travels and embellished with vibrant adventures, shaped my young mind and kindled my lifelong fascination with art and culture.
Both my great-grandfather and grandfather, a renowned horse trainer in Perth and later in Melbourne, spent years rounding up “brumbies” (wild horses) across the Tanami Desert and sailed with them to India, where they were sold to the British Raj. Their tales were as vivid as the emerald earrings and ruby rings worn by my grandmother, complemented by the treasures of the desert—boomerangs, wooden clubs, spears, and feathered ornaments. It felt as though I grew up straddling two worlds: one of refined jewels and another of sticks and stones.
My father was an outdoorsman and camper who made sure we spent weekend nights, weather permitting, exploring the beach or the bush. For a young collector like me, nature was an endless source of inspiration; shells, stones, glass, and feathers provided a never-ending supply to create my own abstract adornments. My primary school teacher, Mrs. O’Riley, deserves special recognition for nurturing my interest in Indigenous Australian culture. With her encouragement, I collected 1st and 2nd grade school readers and pencils, which we sent north to mission schools with the help of my family. We exchanged simple drawings of stick figures—depictions of my family, my dog, and cat—marking the beginning of a profound connection to the First Peoples. I kept these stories as treasures for years in a cardboard box, only to discover they were invaded by silverfish and eventually burned.
As a teenager, I visited Uluru, then known as Ayers Rock. At that time, “dot paintings” did not exist, and you had to travel to Alice Springs and onto Uluru to visit. This majestic monolith, especially at sunrise and sunset, left an indelible mark on me.
Fast forward to my relocation to the U.S. and my new life as a designer, collector, and gallerist. During a visit to Alice Springs in the 1980s, I met Gabrielle Pizzi, a striking figure in her elegant Italian attire, on her way to visit a remote community in the Papunya Tula Community. She quickly adapted to the desert’s ruggedness, swapping her chic outfit for jeans and boots, and a beautiful friendship blossomed between us. This bond led to our collaboration at my Tambaran Gallery in New York in 1988, coinciding with the Asia Society’s exhibition “Dreaming - Aboriginal Australian Art.”
Around the same time, I met another significant figure in the field, Australian art expert Tim Klingender. Tim, a dear friend and fellow enthusiast of Indigenous Australian art, visited Tambaran in the 1980s. Our shared passion for the art of the First Peoples strengthened our connection, and Tim soon became familiar with my private collection of bark paintings and artifacts. Over time, I began acquiring contemporary works, and I was fortunate to purchase a significant piece at the Desert Mob event in Alice Springs, which adorned this cover in 2017.
Crucially, I met Alistair McAlpine in 1983, marking another turning point in my dedication to Aboriginal culture. Alistair, who later became Lord McAlpine of West Green, shared my enthusiasm for Indigenous art and transformed the town of Broome in Western Australia with his vision. He was a generous host, and he lent to me and my husband, Harold, his plane for trips over the desert, offering a bird’s-eye view of the land that so inspired contemporary Indigenous artists. I’ll never forget the joy of touching down in remote areas for lunch, sharing a picnic basket packed by Alistair himself and enjoying champagne from crystal glasses as local children, full of laughter and curiosity, gathered around. On an early trip to Perth with Alistair, the primary purpose was to meet with Mary Macha, the prominent agent and dealer for Rover Thomas, as Alistair was actively collecting his works. Later, I would go on to purchase 22 bark paintings from Alistair’s collection.
In 1988, Gabrielle and I organized the exhibition ‘Papunya’ at my gallery on Madison Avenue. Throughout these years, Tim and I continued to exchange artworks and ideas, strengthening our bond over our shared love for Indigenous Australian art. I was privileged to visit Alice Springs again in 2017 for the Desert Mob, where I acquired a painting that spoke to my soul, its sister painting now housed in the Sydney Museum.
Though Gabrielle, Tim, and Alistair are no longer with us, their spirits live on through the art they championed. Their contributions to this remarkable art form will continue to flourish, and I honor them with each new piece that finds a place in my collection. Their friendship, wisdom, and passion have left an indelible mark on my life, and I am forever grateful for the journeys we shared.
Maureen Zarember _ 2024
4. Australia - Northern Territory
Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa
Group: Pintupi
Untitled, 2003
Synthetic polymer on canvas
72 x 60 inches
5. Australia - Northern Territory
Possibly by Michael Bunguni (?)
Early Wandjina figure, Early 20th century
Eucalyptus bark, natural pigments
14 7/8 x 23 7/8 inches framed in plexi box
Provenance:
Ex Private Collection Australia
6. Australia - Northern Territory YIRAWALA
Group: Kuninjku, Clan: Naborn, Western Arnhem Land
Mimi Spirit Bark Paiting, 1970 Circa
Eucalyptus bark, Natural pigments
36 x 21 inches mounted on linen
Provenance:
Ex Private Collection Australia
7. Australia - Northern Territory
Ningura Napurulla
Group: Pintupi
Untitled, 2004
Synthetic polymer on canvas
72 x 60 inches
8. Australia - Northern Territory
Kenny Bell
Clan: Tjapaltjarri, Kiwirrkurra
Woman Looking For A Man,1974
Synthetic polymer paint on artist board
14 x 18 inches framed
Provenance:
Ex Bruce McElroy, Northern Territory
Bortingnon
Ex Kalamunda Gallery of Man, Western Australia
Ex The Anthony & Beverly Knight Collection, Melbourne
9. Australia - Northern Territory
Tim Leura
Clan: Tjapaltjarri, Kiwirrkurra
Centre Circle of Fire, 1974
Synthetic polymer paint on artist board
29.9 x 24 inches framed
10. Australia - Northern Territory
Jacky Mulawakul
Group - Gunawinggu - Madjinbardi
Bark Fish Painting - Barramundi, Circa 1950
Wood, natural pigment mounted on canvas
36x24 inches mounted on linen
11. Australia - Northern Territory
Artists Unknow
Bark Kangaroo Painting, circa 1950
Wood, natural pigment mounted on canvas
38x26 inches mounted on linen
12. Australia - Northern Territory
Artists Unknow
Bark Painting with skeleton figures
Early 20th century
Eucalyptus bark, Natural pigments
23x28 inches mounted on panel
13. Australia - Northern Territory
Artists Unknow
Echidnas X-ray Bark Paiting, 20th century
Eucalyptus bark, natural Pigments
24 x 25 inches mounted on panel
14. Australia - Northern Territory
Maggie Jigabal
Group: Ngalkbun, Momop
Handspun bush string, 1984
Careya bark trees fibers (GODJPUR) and feathers
39 x 37 inches mounted on linen
Provenance:
Ex Bruce McElroy, Northern Territory Bortingnon ExKalamunda Gallery of Man, Western Australia
Ex The Anthony & Beverly Knight Collection, Melbourne
Provenance:
Ex Private Collection Australia
Provenance:
Ex Stefan Kellner, Australia
Ex Senta Taft Gallery, Australia
Provenance:
Ex Sandra Homes Gallery, Australia
Purchased in 1965-66 by Lorraine and Keith Stafford.
Provenance:
Ex Private Collection, New York
Provenance:
Ex Robert Alistair McAlpine, Australia
15. Australia - Northern Territory
Eva Murdunum
Group: Ngalkbun, Momop
Handspun bush string, 1984
Careya bark trees fibers (GODJPUR) and feathers
19 x 37 inches mounted on linen
18. Australia - Northern Territory
Brian Namunick
Group: Guwinggu
Clan: Nakangila, Western Arnhem Land
Kangaroo Bark Painting, 20th Century
Eucalyptus bark, Natural pigments
43 x 23 inches
19. Australia - Northern Territory
Gabriella Possum Nungurraryi
Group: Anmatyerre
Milky Way Seven Sisters/ Grandmother’s Country, 2017
Synthetic polymer paint on Belgium linen
51.25 x 28.25 inches
20. Australia - South Australia
Muna Kulyuru Pitjantjatjara
Ngayuku Ngura - My Country, 2023
Acrylic on linen
48 x 78 in
21. Australia - Northern Territory
Artists Unknow
Bark Painting, Circa 1970
Poster paint on Eucalyptus bark
34 x 23 inches mounted on linen
22. Australia - Northern Territory
Gabriella Possum Nungurraryi
Group: Anmatyerre
Milky Way Seven Sisters/Grandmother’s Country 2017
Synthetic polymer paint on Belgium linen
51.25 x 28.25 inches
23. Australia - Northern Territory
Brian Namunick
Group: Guwinggu, Western Arnhem Land
Large Bark Painting with figures
20th Century
Eucalyptus bark, Natural pigments
31.49 x 50.49 inches
Provenance:
Ex Robert Alistair McAlpine, Australia
Provenance:
Ex Lorraine and Keith Stafford, Australia
Provenance:
Ex Robert Alistair McAlpine, Australia
Provenance:
Ex Lorraine and Keith Stafford, Australia
24. Australia - Northern Territory
Artists Unknow
Baby carrier 20th century
Wood
24 x 8 x 7 inches
25. Australia - Northern Territory
Artists Unknow
Standing Figure
Early 20th century
Wood, Natural Pigments
17 x 6 x 4 inches
27. Australia - South Australia
Betty Chimney Group: Yankunytjatjara
Ngayuku Ngura (My Country), 2018
Acrylic on canvas
66 x 78 inches
26. Australia - South Australia
Madeline Curley Group: Pitjantjatjara
Seven Sisters, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
77.5 x 77.5 inches
28. Australia - Northern Territory
Artists Unknow
Tiwi clan desing, 20th Century
Eucalyptus bark, earth colors
27 ¾ x 12 ¾ inches
29. Australia - Northern Territory
Artists Unknow
Bark shelter painting, Arnhem Land, 20th Century
Eucalyptus bark, earth colors
29 ¾ x 14 7/8 inches (at the widest)
Provenance:
Private Collection, New York
Provenance: Private Collection, New York
Provenance: Ex Robert Alistair McAlpine, Australia
Provenance:
The Art Institute of Chicago, 1960: “Primitive Art from Chicago Collections”, nov-16 – jan02 1960, #100x
The Arts club of Chicago, 1964
Nelson Gallery – Atkins Museum, Kansas City, MO.1966/1967
Museum of Primitive Art, NYC 1969-1970
The Bowers Museum, Santa Ana, CA, 1975
Ex collection of Herb Baker
