Mitchell Fine Art presents a follow up exhibition of paintings portraying the Australian desert landscape, highlighting the contrast of artistic influences between family members.
Topsy Peterson Napangardi was born in the remote desert of Central Australia 1954 and is the sister of artist Lily Kelly Napangardi, who was previously exhibited in June. Like her sister Topsy grew up learning the dreaming stories of her ancestors. It is these stories that she also portrays in her paintings.
Topsy’s paintings are constructed using small dots in a series of colours. Each colour is carefully selected and applied to ensure balance and continuity, reflecting the sandhills or ‘Tali’ of her birth country. Passed to her by her father the structure and composition of her paintings is quite different from that of her sister.
‘I paint my father’s country west of Yuendumu. He was a Yuendumu man, a Warlpiri man. Sandhills and scrub country, same as Lily, same Dreaming. The Dreaming stays the same [but its] the colours, I always like to use new colours, colours of the land, and the sky, storm clouds and sunrise and sunsets’ says Topsy.
Within Aboriginal society the connection to country is a strong bond, ensuring the ongoing health and continuation of culture and tradition. Art has become a considerable platform to continue this relationship. It is a visual dialogue that continues to be utilised as artists interpret country and visually narrate their explanations of land and its importance to them.
Mitchell Fine Art is located at 86 Arthur St in Fortitude Valley Brisbane. The gallery is open 6 days a week: Monday to Friday 10am – 5.30pm and Saturday 10am – 5pm, with onsite parking available.
Image: Topsy Peterson Napangardi, 120 x 180cm, Acrylic on Linen
