It is with great excitement that we introduce a new stable of artists to Kate Owen Gallery with our inaugural exhibition, Lockhart River Mob.

The artists come from Sandbeach Culture and Community; five distinct clan groups that live in one of the most precious natural environments on the east coast of Far North Queensland. Here you will find the healthiest section of the Great Barrier Reef, mangroves and river systems that pattern the coastal region, rainforest, red dirt roads and rock art.

In many of the artists’ work you can see how they use their detailed and graphic knowledge of the local flora, fauna and landscape and interpret it as an aesthetic pattern; using line, tone and texture to create expressionistic and abstract works that convey the character and sense of their country, with an elevated sense of mood and emotion.

What is remarkable about this exhibition is the diversity of styles, and yet the artworks always circle back to the identity of Sandbeach community; intertwining art and tradition as a cultural and personal expression from the artists own unique perspectives.

The unique context that formed the backdrop for the genesis of art from this region helps explain the diversity of styles.  The Lockhart River Art movement is a distinctly 21st century approach to cultural and environmental expression, created by a new generation of artists. The founding Lockhart River artists are known as ‘The Art Gang’ – a group of young people who did not have the same responsibility of inherited iconography of traditional visual culture, passed down to contemporary artists. Instead, art making in Lockhart was a learning process before anything else; embedded in educational and vocational opportunities for children. 

Elders encouraged any efforts to keep culture strong while expanding vocational potential and, in many instances, artists were learning cultural traditions, sometimes for the first time, at the same time as they were learning their craft. In this regard the artists and their art were in a constant state of transformation; they were taking the old ways and transforming them into new ways.

Broad community support for the education and advancement of young people in ways that once would have been considered culturally inappropriate helps explain how the Lockhart Gang broke through inside and outside their community with their new and original approach. Regardless of how one seeks to explain it, the artworks from the five artists in this exhibition speak for themselves and for a community willing to embrace something different, interesting, fresh and bold.

Lockhart River Mob introduces the exciting, confident and vigorous art from five superstars of the Lockhart River 

ONLINE EXHIBITION will be live from 18 March

ROSELLA NAMOK

Rosella was the first Lockhart River artist to have a solo show, at Hogarth Galleries in 1999, and since then has had regular exhibitions in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

Rosella’s depictions of the monsoonal rains in her tropical homeland may be the most representational in her abstract oeuvre, but they also capture the psychological impact of the downpour; from the joyous light misty rain to the dense engulfing deluge.

In Early Shower Rain, we can also see the influence of Rosella’s silk-screen background – the pull of carefully selected colours suggest the form of the landscape and allows for a certain degree of relaxed contemplation in her imagery.

In Old Girls... Yarn at Night Time, Rosella paints with her fingers, an adaptation of the way that women elders pull their fingers through the sand while yarning. Each panel has a character of its own, and yet they have a tonal and formal coherence. One feels impelled to read each panel as one of the group of women who gather to yarn about their life and the community and to pass on knowledge to the younger generation.

Another preoccupation in Rosella’s body of work are her clan artworks – where she uses line and circle to express the complex kinship systems in Sandbeach. She takes the complexities and dynamics of everyday life as her inspiration and represents them in a visual abstraction that effectively maintains the essential idea.

Rosella’s works are currently held in private and public collections both nationally and internationally including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA and Columbus State University, Georgia, USA.

FIONA OMEENYO

Fiona appeared on the contemporary art scene in the late 1990s as part of ‘The Art Gang’ – first exhibiting her work in 1998. She had her first solo show in 2001 in Broome, Western Australia. Fiona’s work was featured in Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and the Rainforest at the Queensland Art Gallery in 2003.

The Quinken figures found in Sandbeach rock art dominate Fiona’s art and reveals the Lockhart River Mob’s new thinking about traditions and conventions; how Indigenous Australian cultural traditions are regenerated and renewed. Fiona is very skilled in conveying how the past is embedded in the present, with many of her figures appearing to emanate from the stream of life running behind them. In other examples of her work, the Quinken figures are inverted; suggesting that the past generations exist amidst their descendants in the present.

Fiona’s work has been widely exhibited in Australian galleries since winning her first art award in 2001, and she has had 14 solo exhibitions and over 40 group exhibitions, as well as being represented in many private and public collections including the National Gallery of Victoria and QUT Art Museum.

SAMANTHA HOBSON

Samantha’s first solo show was at Andrew Baker Art Dealer in Brisbane in 2000 and has had regular solo exhibitions since. She was awarded second prize for painting and second prize for works on paper at the 2001 Laura Festival. Her work was prominently featured in Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and the Rainforest at the Queensland Art Gallery in 2003 and in Contemporary Encounters at the National Gallery of Victoria in 2010.

Samantha has an incredible ability to capture the colour and intensity of a moment and transform its radiant energy into an emotional charge pulsating through the artwork. Hot Hot Day transports you an exhaustive topical heat wave, while Cyclone Yasi captures the uncontrollable force of the very powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that hit North Queensland in 2011.

Art Historian Sally Butler perfectly explains her work as “close to abstract expressionism, but there is always something that keeps it in touch with visible reality. This is because her art is about seeing the world, not a way of imagining it”

Samantha has an extensive list of solo and group exhibitions, as well as being acquired by a number of private and public collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, the National Museum of Scotland, Queensland Art Gallery, and the The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia, USA.

SILAS HOBSON

Silas Hobson started painting in 1996 and is a member of The Art Gang. His first solo exhibition was in 2002 in Brisbane and since then has exhibited extensively throughout Australia in solo and group exhibitions.

Many of Silas’ figures drift between states of human and supernatural appearance – floating above a repetitive wave of colour which gives the works a syncopated beat. Silas’ art captures the energy of dance and ceremony. Silas explains that a lot of his work is about coming together.

A large number of solo and group exhibitions including Silas’ artworks have been displayed around Australia and internationally, including exhibitions in Italy, France, the UK and the United States. His work hangs in the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of NSW, the Queensland Institute of Technology Odgeroo Collection, the Flinders University Collection, the ATSIC Permanent Collection, the Wollongong University Permanent Collection and the Queensland Art Gallery. Silas also has an impressive list of awards and fine art workshops to his CV.

IRENE NAMOK

Irene Namok is not one of the founding ‘Art Gang’ members, but she carries on the Lockhart River mob’s approach to art making; negotiating one’s inherited traditions on one’s own terms in distinctive and innovative ways. Interestingly, Irene is the mother of Rosella Namok, which further emphasises that the Lockhart River Art movement originated from the younger generation. Although she came to painting later in life she has already received much acclaim. Her very first series of nine works sold out as part of a group Lockhart River exhibition at emerge ART SPACE in 2009 in Perth and she is becoming highly sought after.

Irene usually depicts emotional responses to the beautiful views and lookouts at Sandbeach, as well as her favourite fishing spots. Her paintings are a rich interplay of texture and colour, evoking the feelings of her subject matter and fascinating the viewer with seemingly endless depths and layers.

Irene has participated in many successful solo and group exhibitions including exhibitions at the Booker Lowe Gallery in Texas USA (2010) and Redot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore (2014).

 

If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, you would have seen our posts about one of our clients being featured in this month's issue of Home beautiful magazine!  

I don't know about you, but I think Sarrita King's Ancestors piece adds such a beautiful sophistication to the space :-)

Many of our clients are in the process of making their house a home, and a work of art is usually the finishing touch to make the space sing.  Unlike some galleries that may look coldly on emphasising how the work of art will sit in the home space, we think everyone deserves a beautiful work of art that reflects their taste and aesthetic. You'll be the one viewing the artwork everyday, and we want it to be a source of tremendous joy!

Our friendly, informative art consultants and gallery services are here to help you find the perfect piece - but to get the creative juices flowing we've selected a couple of new works and pieces from our latest exhibition, and placed them in a number of different settings. While the stories depicted in these artworks are incredibly ancient, they are somehow able to blend traditional iconography with a distinctive contemporary aesthetic.

Our Current Exhibition, Journey Tracks | Tony Sorby is hanging in the Charcoal gallery, but his art looks fantastic against a white wall as well. In this lounge room setting, Tony Sorby's Journey Tracks to Sacred Water Sites marries all of the hues found in the space.  

Whereas in this minimal black and white urban setting, Sorby's artwork is the 'pop of colour' and adds warmth to what would have been an incredibly stark feeling in the room.   

Journey Tracks To Sacred Sites

 

Our Newest Australian Aboriginal Art page has a selection of gorgeous pieces hand picked by our director from last year's Desert Mob in Alice Springs - a beautiful eclectic mix of artworks that can work in a range of settings.

Meredith Treacle's piece looks fantastic in this neutral lounge setting - subtly picking up colours from the timber floor

And this eclectic boho setting sings with Carol Steven's joyous work

Rhoda Tjitayi's artwork hung on the portrait orientation gives the perfect amount of colour to this Scandinavian styled inspired setting 

And Mona Mitaikiki Shepherd's artwork emphasises the high ceilings and adds warmth to the space 

Why not take a painting or two home for a few days to see how it works in your space - this is what we call our 'Home Trial' service and you can learn a lot about your taste this way. Like music, some art takes time to get to know. The best art reveals itself slowly.... We let you have time.

Want to view all of the newest artworks? Click Here

Or you can browse by price range here.

 

Our dear old friend, Kudditji Kngwarreye passed away peacefully last week.  The Aboriginal Art Association of Australia broke the news after calling Old Timers Village in Alice Springs and confirming the news with the nurses.  We send our condolences to the family and the Utopia communities.

Upon reflection of this Old Man’s life, we realise that he lived through a time of seismic change. His country was given the name Utopia by German Settlers, who transformed the land in to cattle stations.  He became a skilled stockman, which in recent years we as a nation have begun to recognise the key role Aboriginal people played in the development in the cattle industry in Australia. Kudditji witnessed the success of Albert Namatjira, and experienced the 1967 referendum. Kudditji and his countrymen had their land claim approved in 1979 and throughout the years he has felt the effects of different government policies on Indigenous people of the Northern Territory. 

But throughout it all, Kudditji maintained a strong connection and intimate knowledge of Country. He was a traditional custodian of many important Dreamings, of the land and Men's Business ceremonial sites. Kudditji held the responsibility of an Elder, and frequently took the young boys/men hunting emu in these lands, merging tradition with practice as part of their initiation as men.

Kudditji’s interest in art was more than likely sparked when he witnessed the great success achieved by indigenous women from Utopia in the mid to late 1980s. The women had the opportunity to take part in Batik workshops which created an opportunity to create art for an external market and establish a source of income. In 1988 the Utopia Women's Batik Group was commissioned to produce the opening exhibition for the Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute in Adelaide. The 88 batiks toured internationally before being acquired by the Holmes à Court Collection in Perth. Not long after this, a project to introduce the Utopia Women's Batik Group to painting began. The resulting 1988/89 exhibition titled “A Summer Project” received great attention and coincided with the worldwide art boom that was occurring.

Being a regular visitor to Alice Springs, Kudditji most probably heard of similar things occurring in Papunya and was attracted to the opportunities painting offered. It is stated that he began painting around 1986, which would coincide with the transition to the painting medium in Utopia.  Initially, his highly intuitive and gestural method of painting that he became known for was not welcomed by galleries.  Instead, he was encouraged to paint in the fashionable style of the time, executing works with overt iconography, figurative elements and detailed infill. After seeing the great Utopian artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye catapult on to the Australian and International Art scene using a technique similar to his, Kudditji resumed his exploration of the abstract.  Encouraged by Mike Mitchell of Muk Muk Art and after intensive workshopping and trialling, the quintessential Kudditji brushwork emerged.

Through kinship, Kudditji was the brother of Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Although not related in the eyes of the non-indigenous art lover, the common name was a selling point used by many galleries when Kudditji first arrived on to the scene.  Initially, it was a way to attract the interest of the Australian art market that may not have understood the subtle and compelling connections to culture and country found in Kudditji’s art, but certainly understood the collectability of anything associated with Emily.  Soon, however, the name Kudditji spoke volumes.  His art spoke for itself and he needed no help by way of reflected glory from his skin sister, Emily.  For international collectors of contemporary art, Kudditji quickly became an obvious addition. They saw mastery in his paint handling technique and appreciated his floating fields of luminous colour.  Whilst many international visitors compared him to the great American abstract impressionist, Mark Rothko, Kudditji was totally unaware of any similarities.  He was just painting his country, his Dreamings, his way.

From 1990 onwards Kudditji was selected for numerous international exhibitions, playing an important role in showcasing the depth and diversity of Indigenous Australian art. From the early 2000s Kudditji based himself in Alice Springs, not only because his art career was starting to take off, but due to his health requiring more constant access to medical facilities. In 2006 he was exhibited at the Arken Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen, attracting huge critical acclaim.  Later the same year, he was named as one of the top 50 most collectible artists in Australia by Art Collector magazine. 

In 2013, Kate Owen Gallery presented the exhibition ‘The Master Returns’ – a long-awaited new body of work by Kudditji and his first since overcoming a difficult battle with illness. We weren’t sure what to expect, but the results were phenomenal. He appeared re-invigorated, not only in a health sense but in his approach to his work; bold, strong, assertive, energised and compelling are some of the words that come to mind when I think back on that exhibition. Gallery Owner and Director, Mr Geoff Henderson commented at the time, “Quite simply, this is the most powerful and compelling body of works I’ve seen from him”. 

While painting, Kudditji could be heard singing. On one level it was a way of infusing his works with stories of the land; the ancestors, hunts, travels and the food and water of Anmatyerre country. On other levels, the act of painting reminded him of home and his singing was his way of maintaining his bond with his country, far away from Alice Springs. He painted the country he longed to see again, and, at least in that moment of singing and painting, he returned to his country, if only in his heart and mind. 

Kudditji’s art has also been the exemplar of the ideological riddle that has nagged at the art world for years; can contemporary Aboriginal art effectively transition from the exhibit rooms of specialist Indigenous galleries, to being celebrated alongside international contemporary art?  While the argument appears quite straightforward – as to be contemporary simply means to be of one’s time – writers such as Christopher Allen have put forward that Aboriginal art, as “the expression of a culture that could not possibly be more conservative, traditional and conventional, poses a conundrum.”(2008)

However, from Nicolas Rothwell’s recent review of AGNSW exhibition ‘Art from Milingimbi- Taking Memories Back’ I can’t help but deduce that a balance is being achieved, where galleries are placing once perceived ethnographic content (or beautiful artistic expression that has, in the past been weighted with air of mysterious ethnograph-ique around it), in the context of a gallery space. Thorough curatorial research and collaboration with scholars and holders of Indigenous tradition is being married with more aesthetic considerations.  This is resulting in distinct schools of expression being celebrated within the large umbrella of ‘Aboriginal Art’ and a growing appreciation that somehow Australian Aboriginal Art bridges the chasm from the deeply traditional to the contemporary.

To this day, Kudditji remains an artist with a singular aesthetic quality. His art can stand alone as exceptional contemporary works and he has pioneered a highly intuitive gestural method of painting; mixing paints on the canvas creating vibrant and colour saturated spaces, the colours shifting as the ambient light changes.

However, as with many indigenous artists, Kudditji would be amused by such esoteric matters, dismissive of and disinterested in debate on the subject.  For him, his art remained his own expression of the ancient stories that he was the custodian of.  How the non-indigenous world chose to categorise his work was not something that ever occupied his mind.  What remained paramount was the story, however abstract his representation of it may have been, that his art told.

Artists around the world were inspired by the work of this great man, including Melbourne-based painter Vincent Fantauzzo (a four-time Archibald People’s Choice Award winner). Vincent’s 2016 exhibition Last Contact at Nada Hobbs Gallery showcased five triptychs; each containing a portrait of a great Central Australian artist, together with a painting by the Indigenous artist and a landscape by Fantuazzo. His great affection and respect for Kudditji is undeniable “"He kind of looks like a character from Lord of the Rings but there's nothing fake about him. Everything is genuine and real."

Fantauzzo has commented on the sense of urgency he felt to complete his portrait, when in 2015 Kudditji fell ill and there were fears he may not recover. "I get goosebumps thinking about it. That's the time when I realised what he meant to me and what he taught me." Fantuazzo entered his portrait of Kngwarreye in the 2015 Archibald Prize as well as Kngwarreye’s artwork in the Wynne Prize. Neither painting was shown in the finalist exhibition.

In 2015 Kudditji became too weak to carry on painting and retired to Old Timers Village where he lived out the remainder of his days in peace, surrounded by his countrymen.

Kudditji's songs will continue to echo through his beautiful artworks, which now hang in galleries, private collections, homes and offices all over the world.

Travel safely home to Anmatyerre Country Old Man. You will be missed.

There are many great pleasures working at Kate Owen Gallery, but none gives me more joy than meeting the artists and hearing their stories. When Tony Sorby arrives with his latest body of work, you’re greeted with a smile and sense of joy that lights up a room.

A powerful optimism which I believe reverberates through his art with its graphic quality, a technique which may have originated from his mastery of marquetry as a young man.

Tony Sorby stands before you as a proud Kamilaroi man. The Kamilaroi Nation is one of the largest Indigenous Nations in Australia. Kamilaroi country stretches from as far as the Hunter Valley in NSW through to Nindigully in QLD and as far west as the Warrumbungle Mountains near Coonabarabran in NSW, sweeping across the Liverpool Plains. 

For generations, government policies attempted to sever the Kamilaroi people’s cultural connection to family and country, and Tony Sorby stands as a walking history of the great upheavals that shook the community during the twentieth century.

Spending time with Tony, you hear snippets of tales from his early life, a story known all too well for the Koori community of the East Coast but perhaps still confronting for people who have not lived it; mission life, orphanages,  in and out of foster homes and institutions, run ins with the police. A story that has been told before that usually leaves audiences feeling paralysed with despair.

But Tony uses his talents to lift people up. He’s able to tell his personal story in a manner that always brings audiences together; to reflect on the hurt we cause one another but also the healing that can take place and let us rise above it all.

Tony’s art, much like the man himself, has an optimistic approach. It tells of walking in the footsteps of his ancestors; returning to country and learning of his culture and identity. Seeking inspiration from the land, creeks and rivers. He paints what has brought so much comfort and happiness to his own life.

His journey tracks are alive with history, historical and personal stories.

His art is a powerful statement of survival and resilience.

Tony Sorby’s art has continued to develop and we are proud to showcase this exquisite new body of work in our Charcoal Gallery – the first of what I hope will be many solo shows.   

ONLINE EXHIBITION will be available from Thursday 9 Februrary