Friday, September 12 – Friday, October 31, 2008

Earth Colors Recaptured

New Paintings in natural ochres by Aboriginal artists from Australia's acclaimed Waringarri Art Centre

Open Reception:              5:30 am – 8:00 pm

                                  Friday, September 12th

Just over a year ago, we flew into Kununurra, a small mining town at the eastern edge of the Kimberley mountains in northwestern Australia. We were returning to Waringarri Arts Centre, an Aboriginal owned, and one of the most respected, indigenous art centers in Australia. There, we reconnected with Cathy Cummins, the art center director, and many of the internationally-known painters of this area. It was then that we began planning this exhibition.

Here's what one American arts writer said about the works we selected for this new show.

"The distinctive paintings of the artists of Waringarri encompass the ancient and the new.

"The pigments are dug by hand from river beds. The shapes are as old as the 40,000 year history of Australia's indigenous people. These delicate works of fragile surface open a view to ancestral worlds in a very contemporary context. The images are of a landscape as might have been seen by a god or a magical bird soaring above the nearby Kimberley mountains. Every mark and shape is meaningful. There are circles representing sacred waterholes; ovals that may be mountains, rocks or hills; wavy lines that represent rivers and paths.

"Even without knowledge of the country or symbols, the sensuous surfaces and bold compositions captivate and challenge the eye. The medium, too, is part of the landscape and tradition- natural ochres ranging from deep reds to pale yellows that the artists grind into fine powder and blend with binders to create pinks, blues, and greens," highlighted against the velvet black of ground charcoal.

The artists themselves say they "paint country with country," mapping their world in abstract forms and pigments as old as the earth. We look forward to showing you these very special paintings!

Nana Booker
Honorary Consul of Australia