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Seeing the Centre: the art of Albert Namatjira |
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Discoveries: depicting his world Albert Namatjira's reputation rests on his landscapes. His paintings of other subjects are not so well known. Recent discoveries reveal that, particularly during the early years of his career, he produced portraits, scenes of daily life, animals and buildings, all of which are either integrated into, or juxtaposed against, the land. |
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Light on Ljalkaindirma (Mount Hermannsburg): Ljalkaindirma (Mount Hermannsburg) presents a complex juxtaposition of coloured shadows. Namatjira's early paintings of the mountain rely on alternate placement of light and dark areas within broad, relatively flat shapes, to establish the effect of the sun in defining its unique topography and enclosing folds. |
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Transformations: light begets colour The capacity of light to flatten, fragment, illuminate or hide the forms that comprise the land, as perceived by the eye at unique moments in time, were not the only qualities that inspired Albert Namatjira. Solid matter that we know to be red, brown or green is seen by the eye as mauve, purple or blue when viewed from a distance.
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The animate void: gaps and gorges The perpendicular walls of the narrow Standley Chasm Angkale are a popular subject for many visiting artists. It was a familiar part of Albert Namatjira's country and he painted it many times. |
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Sights and sites: distant peaks and monoliths Discrete peaks rising from a flat plain hold a particular appeal for the tourist: they function as goal posts for the journey, elements to be explored and experienced. For the traditional owners, however, they hold spiritual meaning. As with many locations in central Australia, peaks like Mount Sonder are therefore well documented as both 'sights' and 'sites'. |
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Intimate communities: A favourite tourist spot since the 1930s, Alyape (Palm Valley) has inspired many artists. For Albert Namatjira it had a special attraction. |
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Saplings and survivors: portraits of trees Trees play a pivotal role in leading our eye into the painted image of a landscape and in creating the illusion of space. In Albert Namatjira's art, their position in the foreground and at the perimeter of horizontal formats adds depth in different ways.
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Looking at land: the panoramic frame When Albert Namatjira visited Sydney in 1956 as the guest of the writer Frank Clune, whose travel books helped popularise central Australia in the 1950s, he spent five consecutive mornings in the studio of well-known portrait painter, William Dargie.
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