Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri circa 1920-2008 ROCKHOLES NEAR THE OLGAS

Painted at Amunturrngu (Mt Liebig) in 2007
Watiyawanu Artists of Amunturrngu
John Gordon Gallery, Coffs Harbour
Private collection

Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri, John Gordon Gallery, Coffs Harbour in association with Watiyawanu Artists of Amunturrngu, 20 October-17 November 2007

Nicholas Kachel, Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri, Coffs Harbour: John Gordon Gallery, 2007 (lllus.).

The paint surface is in a good and stable condition with no repairs or restorations. There are minor accumulations of dust particles embedded in the white dots on the lower central margin on the right, this is a result of the painting process.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri's painting career in the public domain lasted barely four years up to his death last year. The paintings of his country, west of Uluru (Ayers Rock), are redolent with a sense of ancient, traditional knowledge commensurate with his role as a senior ngangkari or traditional healer. Tjapaltjarri was raised in the customary Pitjantjatjara way; he first met Europeans as a teenager, but it was to be years later before he took up residence at the Lutheran Mission at Haasts Bluff, where he met his wife Colleen Nampitjinpa and together they moved to Amunturrngu (Mount Liebig), some 100 kms. to the northwest.
In 1992 the women painters at Amunturrngu, including Colleen, established their art cooperative – Watiyawana Artists of Amunturrngu. There, Tjapaltjarri began painting on canvas in 2004, bringing the wealth of his experience, knowledge of law and country as well as an awareness of the recent history of Aboriginal art from the deserts, to produce startling canvases that shimmer with the ancestral forces that envelop the land. Tjapaltjarri's subject is consistent – the countless permanent freshwater rockholes, seasonal creeks and rivers that cover his land, and the bounty of bush foods that it provides. The paintings relate to the ancestral creative acts of the Cockatoo, Crow and Eagle, who, through a series of epic confrontations, created the features of the landscape. The sweeps of white dotting refer to the feathers of the ancestral Cockatoo, while the riot of coloured dots represent the plants, bushes and flowers that spring to life after rain. The dotted lines around the circles in Tjapaltjarri's paintings represent the tracks of human beings, while the lines of flat colour indicate dry riverbeds and gullies.

This painting is sold with an accompanying Watiyawanu Artists certificate.