Marking the Infinite CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ARTISTS FROM ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION JUNE 2 SEPTEMBER 9, 2018 press kit Press Release Press Images Wall Text Checklist In-Gallery Programming and Engagement Public Programs Sponsor Statement Upcoming Exhibitions
UPDATED RELEASE May 30, 2018 Media Contacts: Hayley Barton, 202.387.2151 x235 hbarton@phillipscollection.org Miriam Magdieli, 202.387.2151 x240 mmagdieli@phillipscollection.org Online Press Room: www.phillipscollection.org/press THE PHILLIPS PRESENTS MARKING THE INFINITE: CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ARTISTS FROM ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA Celebrating Aboriginal Australian culture with nine leading artists WASHINGTON The Phillips Collection is proud to present Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia. Celebrating Australian Aboriginal culture, the exhibition includes 68 works drawn from the collection of Miami-based collectors and philanthropists Debra and Dennis Scholl with many key works commissioned specifically for the exhibition. Marking the Infinite is carefully curated by the Scholls in conjunction with Australian art historian Henry F. Skerritt and will be on view June 2 through September 9, 2018. The exhibition features works by nine leading Aboriginal Australian women artists: Nonggirrnga Marawili, Wintjiya Napaltjarri, Yukultji Napangati, Angelina Pwerle, Lena Yarinkura, Gulumbu Yunupingu, Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, Carlene West, and Regina Pilawuk Wilson. The subjects of their art are broad, yet each work is an attempt to grapple with fundamental questions of existence, asking us to slow down and pay attention to the natural world. These are marks made upon an ancient endless infinity, revealing humanity s insignificance against the steady movement of time and the cosmos. We are honored to champion Australian Aboriginal art in Washington, DC and to take part in celebrating the historic culture rooted in this exhibition, said Phillips Director Dorothy Kosinski. Duncan Phillips was known for being of an international mind. The sense of community and universal language deep within the symbolic nature of Aboriginal art would have resonated with his artistic passions.
Page 2 Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia The Phillips Collection has always been at the forefront of modern and contemporary art which is, in the 21 st century, most decidedly a global phenomenon. Aboriginal art is a part of that evolution and we are proud to feature nine artists that are pushing the boundaries of their history to take part in this conversation, said Klaus Ottmann, Deputy Director for Curatorial and Academic Affairs at the Phillips. ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIAN ART AND CULTURE In Aboriginal communities throughout Australia the art markets not only act as the hub of the community but serve as a means for survival. Art production is self-regulated and commercialization is controlled by the community leaders like the nine featured women artists. Testimonies of 40,000 years of culture and history are rooted in Aboriginal art initially championed by men. Now, women artists have electrified the art scene through their dynamic artistry. The works of these nine leading Aboriginal artists show their life s journey of upholding the history of their people, while expanding upon their culture through art. The Phillips Collection is pleased to invite one of the nine artists, Regina Pilawuk Wilson, to travel to the United States and paint a mural in the museum s courtyard. Wilson was known for her remarkable skill with weaving at a young age. As she continued her education she became an expert in painting with the goal of continuing her people s traditions in innovative ways. DEBRA AND DENNIS SCHOLL Debra and Dennis Scholl have dedicated many of their recent years to collecting art. After discovering Australian Aboriginal art they became infatuated with the communities and the lifestyle surrounding the art market. The Scholl s progressed from supporting the history of Aboriginal art to impacting the history by commissioning new works of larger scales than had previously been attempted. In 2017, they announced they would donate part of their collections to three museums, Miami s Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University, the Nevada Museum of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. EXHIBITION CREDITS This exhibition is presented by Chevron. Generous support is provided by Andrea and Steve Strawn and by U.S. Trust and the Embassy of Australia.
Page 3 Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia Additional support for the presentation at The Phillips Collection was provided by Dennis and Debra Scholl, Charles McKittrick, Jr., and from the Paula Ballo Bailey Memorial Fund. In-kind support is provided by Marking the Infinite originated at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, Nevada, and was organized by William Fox, Director, Center for Art and Environment, and Henry Skerritt, Curator, Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. The works in the exhibition are drawn from the collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. IMAGE GALLERY High-resolution press images for Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia are available via Dropbox. CATALOGUE This exhibition is accompanied by a scholarly catalogue published by the Nevada Museum of Art and feature essays by Curatorial Director JoAnne Northrup, curator Henry F. Skerritt as well as outside scholars Hetti Perkins, Rachel Kent, Elina Spilia, Sarita Quinlivan, Cara Pinchbeck, Anne Marie Brody, John Carty, Suzette Wearne, Tina Baum, Howard Morphy, and Will Stubbs. ABOUT THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION The Phillips Collection, America s first museum of Modern art, presents one of the world s most distinguished Impressionist and American Modern art collections. Including paintings by Renoir and Rothko, Bonnard and O'Keeffe, van Gogh, Diebenkorn, Daumier and Lawrence, among others, the museum continues to actively collect new acquisitions, many by contemporary artists such as Wolfgang Laib, Whitfield Lovell, and Leo Villareal. Its distinctive building combines extensive new galleries with the former home of its founder, Duncan Phillips. The Phillips s impact spreads nationally and internationally through its highly distinguished special exhibitions, programs, and events that catalyze dialogue surrounding continuity between art of the past and present. Among the Phillips s esteemed programs are its award-winning education programs for K-12 teachers, students, and adults, well established Phillips Music series and sell-out Phillips after 5 events. The museum contributes to the art conversation on a global scale with its events like Conversations with Artists and the International Forum. The Phillips Collection values its community partnerships with The University of Maryland and THEARC that act as the museum s nexus for academic work, scholarly exchange, and interdisciplinary collaborations. The Phillips Collection is a private, non-government museum, supported primarily by donations. LEFT IMAGE: Regina Pilawuk Wilson, Syaw (Fishnet), 2014., 47 1/4 x 78 3/4 in. Collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl Regina Pilawuk Wilson, courtesy Durrmu Arts, Peppimenarti. Photo: Sid Hoeltzell RIGHT IMAGE: Angelina Pwerle, Bush Plum, 2010., 46 7/16 x 78 3/8 in. Collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl Angelina Pwerle, courtesy Niagara Galleries, Melbourne. Photo: Sid Hoeltzell # # #
PRESS IMAGES MARKING THE INFINITE: CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ARTISTS FROM ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA JUNE 2-SEPTEMBER 9, 2018 2 1 3 To request access to images: please call 202.387.2151 x235 or e-mail hbarton@phillipscollection.org. Please note: Permission to reproduce these images is granted only for publicity in connection with this exhibition. With all reproductions, please include the full credit information for each image. Images may not be cropped, printed over, or altered. 4
5 7 6 8 9 IMAGE CREDITS (NOTE: Images in this document are not to scale. Please refer to the credits for dimensions. ) 1. Nonggirrnga Marawili, Yurr yun, 2015. Earth pigments on wood, 103 1/8 x 7 7/8 x 7/ 7/8 in. Collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl Nonggirrnga Marawili, courtesy Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala. Photo: Sid Hoeltzell 2. Wintjiya Napaltjarri, Women s Ceremonies at Watanuma, 2007., 59 7/8 x 71 7/8 in. Collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl Wintjiya Napaltjarri, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd., courtesy Papunya Tula Artists. Photo: Sid Hoeltzell 3. Yukultji Napangati, Ancestral Women at Yunala, 2007. Synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 60 1/4 x 48 in. Collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl Yukultji Napangati, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd., courtesy Papunya Tula Artists. Photo: Sid Hoeltzell 4. Regina Pilawuk Wilson, Syaw (Fishnet), 2014, Synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 47 1/4 x 78 3/4 in. Collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl Regina Pilawuk Wilson, courtesy Durrmu Arts, Peppimenarti. Photo: Sid Hoeltzell 5. Angelina Pwerle, Bush Plum, 2010. Synthetic polymer paint on canvas 46 7/16 x 78 3/8 in. Collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl Angelina Pwerle, courtesy Niagara Galleries, Melbourne. Photo: Sid Hoeltzell 6. Carlene West, Tjitjiti, 2013, Acrylic on linen, 71 5/8 x 47 5/8 in. Collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl Carlene West, courtesy Spinifex Arts Project, Tjuntjuntjara. Photo: Sid Hoeltzell 7. Lena Yarinkura, Yawkyawk, 2015. Pandanus Spiralis, wood, feathers, earth pigments, and synthetic binder, 62 1/4 x 39 3/8 in. Collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl Lena Yarinkura, courtesy Maningrida Arts and Culture. Photo: Sid Hoeltzell 8. Gulumbu Yunupingu, Ganyu (Stars), 2003. Earth pigments on bark, 70 7/8 x 31 1/2 in. Collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl The estate of Gulumbu Yunupingu, courtesy Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala. Photo: Sid Hoeltzell 9. Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, Circles, 2014. Felt tip pen and earth pigments on paper, Nine panels of 30 x 22 in. Collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, courtesy BukuLarrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala. Photo: Sid Hoeltzell
WALL TEXT Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia June 2 September 9, 2018 In the late 1980s women artists took the reins of the contemporary Aboriginal art movement in Australia. After years of working in the shadows, assisting their fathers and husbands, they burst onto the scene, giving it a new vitality and dynamism. Women artists redrew the boundaries of Aboriginal art, and continue to be among its most daring innovators. Though cultural activity has always been central to the secular and sacred lives of women, art making in recent decades has offered a key means for women to also maintain their social and economic independence. The nine artists in this exhibition Nonggirrnga Marawili, Wintjiya Napaltjarri, Yukultji Napangati, Angelina Pwerle, Carlene West, Regina Pilawuk Wilson, Lena Yarinkura, Gulumbu Yunupingu, and Nyapanyapa Yunupingu offer a glimpse into the diverse contemporary art practice of Aboriginal Australia. Hailing from remote areas across the island continent, they are revered matriarchs, commanding leadership roles and using art to empower their respective communities. The works are steeped in ancient cultural traditions, specific to each artist, and yet speak to universal contemporary themes, revealing the continued relevance of indigenous knowledge in the 21st century. The subjects of the works range from remote celestial bodies and the native bush plum s tiny flowers to venerable craft traditions and women s ceremonies. Accordingly, each work grapples with the most fundamental questions of existence. Every mark bears testament to natural and cosmological cycles that put one s being into perspective, whether the ebb and flow of sacred waters and ancestral sands, or the simple passage of a brush against canvas. These artists make marks upon the infinite, asserting both our shared humanity and differences in experiencing and valuing the same planet. Marking the Infinite originated at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, Nevada, and was organized by William Fox, Director, Center for Art and Environment, and curated by Henry Skerritt, Curator, Kluge- Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. The works in the exhibition are drawn from the collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. This exhibition is being held on the traditional land of the Piscataway people and The Phillips Collection wishes to acknowledge them as Traditional Owners. We would also like to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and the Elders from other communities who may be here today. In Australian Aboriginal communities it is common practice neither to name nor reproduce images of recently deceased persons. The organizers of this exhibition have taken care to comply with appropriate indigenous protocols. Discretion and care should nevertheless be exercised for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people visiting this exhibition. About the Artists NONGGIRRNGA MARAWILI Born c. 1939, Darrpirra, Northern Territory Lives and works at Yirrkala, Northern Territory (Madarrpa/Australian) Nonggirrnga Marawili was born into the Madarrpa, one of the approximately 20 clans composing the Yolngu people in Arnhem Land, the sparsely populated northeastern tip of the Northern Territory, which consists almost entirely of Aboriginal lands. Marawili learned to paint while assisting her husband Djutadjuta Mununggurr, an artist and leader of another Yolngu clan, the Djapu. During the 1990s, she
Page 2 Wall Text: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia contributed many important commissions and exhibitions of Yolngu art, but it was only after 2011 that she emerged as one of the preeminent figures in contemporary bark painting. In 2015, she was awarded the prestigious bark painting prize at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards. Recently, she was selected for inclusion in the 2017 National Indigenous Art Triennial at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. WINTJIYA NAPALTJARRI Born c. 1930, Malparingya, Northern Territory Died 2014, Walungurru (Pintupi) / Kintore (English), Northern Territory (Pintupi/Australian) Wintjiya Napaltjarri witnessed the birth of the contemproary Aboriginal art movement with the establishment of the Papunya Tula Artists company, the first Aboriginal-owned artist company, founded in 1972, and belongs to one of the first generations of women to paint for the company. Born in the Western Desert, she lived nomadically with her family until the 1950s, when she joined the migration of Western Desert peoples to the Lutheran mission at Haasts Bluff. In 1994, she participated in the Kintore/ Haasts Bluff Women s Painting Project with a group of 14 other women, ushering in a new era of creative output and the establishment of the Ikuntji Women s Center at Haasts Bluff. Her work is held in Australian collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; and the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. YUKULTJI NAPANGATI Born c. 1971, Wilkinkarra (Pintupi) / Lake Mackay (English), Western Australia Lives and works in Kiwirrkurra, Western Australia (Pintupi/Australian) Long after other Pintupi had moved to government-run settlements, Yukultji Napangati and her eight family members remained in the Great Sandy Desert, living an isolated nomadic life. In 1984, however, they emerged near the remote Kiwirrkurra community in Western Australia, many of them making contact with the Western world for the first time. Napangati started painting in 1996, inspired by senior women such as Wintjiya Napaljtarri, while frequently assisting her husband Charlie Ward Tjakamarra. Following his death in 2005, Napangati emerged as a prominent figure in her own right, perfecting the stark linear style characteristic of contemporary painting at Kiwirrkurra. Napangati has been included in more than 80 exhibitions in Australia and internationally, and her works are in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; and the Queensland Art Gallery, South Brisbane. ANGELINA PWERLE Born c. 1946, Utopia, Northern Territory Lives and works in Utopia, Northern Territory (Anmatyerr/Australian) Angelina Pwerle lives at Camel Camp, a small outstation in the Utopia region of Australia s eastern desert. Outstations are remote communities of one or two small buildings that arose in the 1970s as Aboriginal people began leaving government settlements and missions to establish communities on traditional lands. Like many of her peers, her artistic career began with the establishment of the Utopia Women s Batik Group in 1977. A decade later, she participated in the landmark exhibition A Summer Project, which brought the art of Utopia to national attention. Pwerle s work is in many significant public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; the Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; and the National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan. CARLENE WEST Born c. 1944, Tjitjiti, Western Australia
Page 3 Wall Text: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia Lives and works in Tjuntjunjtara, Western Australia (Pitjantjatjara/Australian) Carlene West was born in the sand hills on the western edge of Tjitjiti, a vast salt lake in Spinifex country. In 1959, West and her family left the desert to escape the British government s nuclear testing at Maralinga, moving to a mission at Cundeelee. With her husband, Fred Grant, she was influential in the Spinifex people s push to return to country and reclaim their Native Title from the state; the Spinifex people returned to live in Tjuntjuntjara in the 1980s, and in 2009 were able to relocate through the bush back to Tjitjiti. West began painting in 1997, and her acclaimed later works have been acquired by the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; and the British Museum, London. REGINA PILAWUK WILSON Born 1948, Daly River, Northern Territory Lives and works in Peppimenarti, Northern Territory (Ngan gikurrungurr/australian) In 1973, Regina Pilawuk Wilson left the Catholic mission where she had lived since childhood and, along with her husband Harold, established the Aboriginal community of Peppimenarti. A gifted fiber artist, Wilson began painting in 2002 after attending a workshop in Darwin, the capital city of the Northern Territory. Her largescale works immediately received acclaim at such prestigious events as the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards. Wilson s work is in major public collections the British Museum, London; the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; and the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, among others and has been featured in important international exhibitions of Aboriginal art. In May 2018, Regina Pilawuk Wilson visited The Phillips Collection and painted a mural in the museum s courtyard. Be sure to see the mural, and also watch a video of the artist at work on the Phillips s website. LENA YARINKURA Born 1961, Maningrida, Northern Territory Lives and works in Maningrida, Northern Territory (Rembarrnga/Australian) The daughter of renowned weaver Lena Djamarrayku, Lena Yarinkura is a great fiber art innovator in the Arnhem Land region where she resides at an outstation on her mother s country close to the Aboriginal community of Maningrida, home to more than 15 different Aboriginal language groups. She is part of the community-based Aboriginal arts cooperative Maningrida Arts and Culture. Yarinkura s work has had a profound influence on artists throughout the region, winning acclaim at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards in 1994 and 1997. She is represented in most important collections in Australia, including the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. GULUMBU YUNUPINGU Born c. 1943, Gunyangara, Northern Territory Died 2012, Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory (Gumatj/Australian) Gulumbu Yunupingu is one of Australia s most acclaimed contemporary bark painters. In her community she is equally regarded for her healing powers and traditional remedies. Born into an important Yolngu family, her father was artist Mungurrawuy Yunupingu, leader of the Gumatj clan. An accomplished translator, communicator, and traditional healer, she began her artistic career in the late 1990s. Within a few years her work was represented at World Expo in Hanover, Germany, and received first prize at the prestigious National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards. In 2006, she was one of eight
Page 4 Wall Text: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia artists whose work was incorporated into the design for the new Musée du quai Branly in Paris. NYAPANYAPA YUNUPINGU Born c. 1945, Miwatj, Northern Territory Lives and works in Yirrkala, Northern Territory (Gumatj/Australian) Nyapanyapa Yunupingu has become one of Australia s most acclaimed contemporary artists. Hailing from a powerful Yolngu family, Nyapanyapa is the daughter of statesman and artist Mungurrawuy Yunupingu and is the younger sister of artist Gulumbu Yunupingu. Through the Yirrkala Printspace the only full-time, Indigenousstaffed fine art print studio in the country Yunupingu has become an acclaimed printmaker. Her bark paintings, larrakitj poles, and multimedia works are held in every major public collection in Australia. In 2016 she was featured in the Sydney Biennale, and the Bangarra Dance Theatre performed a work inspired by her life. LARRAKITJ POLES Larrakitj were once created by the Yolngu (indigenous peoples from the northeastern Arnhem Land region) to house the bones of their dead. For these traditional burial poles, only the most perfectly symmetrical hollow trunk eucalyptus trees were used. Once stripped of bark, the surface would be decorated with detailed paintings intended to guide the deceased to their spiritual home. Larrakitj still play an important role in Yolngu mortuary rites and memorial practices, but no longer function as receptacles for human remains. In the 1980s, artists began making Larrakitj for the art market, departing from the strict conventions of ceremonial design. They became less concerned with symmetry and, in the 2000s, began exploring the surface features of the trunk, utilizing imperfections as integral parts of its expressive form. Extended Labels NONGGIRRNGA MARAWILI Lightning and the Rock 2014 Marawili s early works primarily represented the motifs of her husband s clan, the Djapu. Recently, however, she has focused on the designs of her own Madarrpa clan. Her patterns echo sacred Madarrpa iconography, but she renders them in expressionistic, personal ways out of respect for the prohibitions of Yolngu Law, according to which only certain people can hold a proprietary claim to paint these designs. She explains: This Yirritja painting I m doing is coming from the heart and mind, but it s not the sacred Madarrpa painting. It s just an ordinary fire, not the Madarrpa fire: tongues of fire, fire burning backwards. This is just my thinking. No one told me to do this pattern. I did this on my own. When the elders see it they will let me know what they think. Larrakitj Poles: NONGGIRRNGA MARAWILI Yurr yun 2015 Earth pigments on wood Marawili s works often reference the four key elements of Madarrpa Law: lightning, fire, water, and rock. Cascading diamonds convey water and fire; jagged lines are reminiscent of lightning; dark shapes indicate rocks; and white dots suggest sea spray or the barnacles adorning rocks. Each of these elements
Page 5 Wall Text: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia is connected to specific ancestral events in Madarrpa country. While Marawili alludes to the visual conventions of ceremonial painting, she ultimately represents her own interpretations. In doing so, the artist demonstrates the deep connection that Yolngu ancestral forces have to their lands as well as to their identity. The Yolngu word Yurr yun refers to the water marks produced by a powerful wave crushing against a rock, from splashes to droplets to mist. WINTJIYA NAPALTJARRI Women s Ceremonies at Watanuma 2009 Women s Ceremonies at Watanuma 2010 Watanuma, located northwest of the Kintore Walungurru settlement in the Northern Territory, is associated with the Minyma Kutjarra (Two Women) creation story. This story follows two sisters whose travels shaped the distinctive landscape of the region. Napaltjarri s painting doesn t imitate or illustrate topographical features or narrative events but instead uses symbols that allude to the Two Women tale. The ancestral women are indicated by U shapes, while floating comb shapes represent their nyimparra (hair-string skirts). The circles may indicate rock hole formations or the plump fruits of the bush tomato (Solanum chippendalei) that the women gathered on their journeys. WINTJIYA NAPALTJARRI Women s Ceremonies at Pinari 2011 For Wintjiya Napaltjarri, the final act of each painting was all consuming as she surrounded her iconography in a swath of white paint. This illuminated each symbol in the same way that white ochre was used traditionally to encase body paint on naked breasts and arms. Using the wooden handle of a paintbrush, she embarked upon a rhythmic and lyrical process, dipping it deep into a pot of paint and then merging and dabbing dots together until all of the unpainted surface of the linen was covered in white. In my hours of watching this stage, the repetitive sound of this action became an allegory for the pulse of time and the knowledge that is passed through it. Sarita Quinlivan, Writer YUKULTJI NAPANGATI Ancestral Women at Yunala 2007 Yunala is a rock hole formation and soakage (or natural well) located in the sand hills to the west of Kiwirrkurra, in Western Australia. In ancient times, a group of women were said to have camped there before continuing to the salt lake of Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay). During their respite, the women collected the edible roots of the plentiful bush banana or silky pear vine (Marsdenia australis), known locally as yunala. The shimmering field in Ancestral Women at Yunala simultaneously recalls the region s endless sand hills, underground tubers gathered by the women, ancestors asserting their subterranean presence, and the desert s atmospheric haze. YUKULTJI NAPANGATI Women s Ceremonies at Marrapinti 2015
Page 6 Wall Text: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia My mother s country, Marrapinti, that s what I paint about. The ancestors were coming this way and they entered the place called Wilkinkarra [Lake Mackay]. I paint that, and the places Ngaminya, Wirrulnga. They traveled and arrived at Lake Mackay from Yunala. Yunala is the place of bush-potato Dreaming. The ancestors would dig them up and eat them my mother s country. Yukultji Napangati ANGELINA PWERLE Bush Plum 2015 Bush Plum 2013 Angelina Pwerle s paintings deal with many themes, the best known being the bush plum (arnwekety). The plant s seasonal colors dominate the ground flora of Ahalpere country, and women collect its small berries which may be eaten fresh, dried, or mixed into paste. The bush plum is an Altyerr (Dreaming) that Pwerle inherited from her father. Its story is crucial to local women s ceremonies and intricately intertwined with the songlines of the whole country. Closely associated with the sacredness of Ahalpere country, the narrative speaks not only of physical nourishment but also spiritual sustenance. Pwerle depicts the bush plum as a shimmering constellation of dots, creating grand tapestry like canvases that suggest the profound connection between the individual and the universal. ANGELINA PWERLE Bush Plum 2006 Bush Plum 2015 Bush Plum 2010 Bush Plum 2010 This painting is about my father s country and about arnwekety [bush plum]. The flowers are there, the little bush plum flowers. That bush plum is my father s Dreaming. That bush plum comes from Ahalpere country. It has little white flowers, then after that there is the fruit. If it doesn t rain, the plants are dry; if it rains there is an abundance of bush plums. The flower is small when they have just come out... well, after that the fruit comes. The fruits are really nice when they are ripe. Angelina Pwerle CARLENE WEST Tjitjiti 2015 Tjitjiti 2013
Page 7 Wall Text: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia Whereas Carlene West s early work conforms closely to traditional iconography, after returning to Tjitjiti in 2009 the first time since her childhood her style underwent a rapid transformation. Formal symbolic and narrative elements receded, giving way to more expressive painting. Depicted in swaths of white, the great salt lake Tjitjiti also found greater prominence. West s paintings offer a metaphor for the connection between place and Indigenous identity. Anthropologist John Carty notes, Carlene s marks are the traces of meaningful action; of the actions that made the world, and that continue to make the world meaningful; of the artist becoming an ancestor. CARLENE WEST Tjitjiti 2015 These paintings represent my country of Tjitjiti, a large salt lake. It is the site of the creation story of Two Women. This story involves Two Women walking across the big salt lake with a child when they are called by a stranger, a Quoll Man, to hand over the child. The two ladies make a run for it but the Quoll Man threw a spear and impaled the two women together and then killed the child. This is a sad story. Those two women can still be seen today standing at Tjitjiti. Carlene West REGINA PILAWUK WILSON Syaw (Fishnet) 2015 The patterns in this painting mimic the stitch and weave of the syaw, large cylindrical fishnets made from the pinbin (bush vine). With the imposition of mission life, knowledge of how to make the nets vanished. Wilson sought to revive the lost art in 2014 when she traveled to the distant outstation of Yilan to learn from Freda Wyartja and sisters Lily and Bonnie Roy. In turn, Wilson has taught the stitch to younger generations in primary schools. Her paintings are similarly a conscious attempt to revitalize lost traditions, showing that persistence and change coexist in Ngan gikurrungurr culture. REGINA PILAWUK WILSON Syaw (Fishnet) 2015 My grandfather and grandmother used to make big fishnet, before Europeans came to Australia. We call it syaw. They used to make four or five and put them in the water. I forgot the stitch because the missionaries took us in, and my grandparents died. My big sister told me to do the story on painting for our children and grandchildren, so they can remember what our ancestors used to do a long time ago. She drew it on the sand, on the dirt, and told me to paint it. I ve got to paint the story on the canvas. It s like our history. Regina Pilawuk Wilson LENA YARINKURA Yawkyawk 2015 Twined pandanus palm leaf, wood, feathers, earth pigments, and synthetic binder In the beginning, I used to make baskets, and string bags, and mats. Then I had another idea, a new idea, and I started different themes: camp dogs, and yawkyawk, made out of pandanus and some
Page 8 Wall Text: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia stringybark. Just doing different things. Before, people didn t have any new ideas they just made baskets and mats but not this thing. So I teach them, and they got my idea. I always think to make different things it s really hard. But I like to keep changing, always new. Not same one. Just make different things because I have to change, change, change. I can t just make one. No! Because I ve got a lot of Dreamings. Lena Yarinkura LENA YARINKURA Spider 2015 Twined pandanus palm leaf, paperbark, natural pigments, and feathers Spider is from beginning. It s my Dreaming. It s the big brown one. It s not really a new idea for a long time people have painted the spider. When I do bark painting, I paint the spider. But then I thought, oh, I can make my string spider because when he goes round and round. Spider is like a computer he can make everything. So, it s still old, from the beginning, but also new ideas. Lena Yarinkura GULUMBU YUNUPINGU Ganyu (Stars) 2003 Ganyu (Stars) 2009 Garak 2010 Ganyu (Stars) 2005 The infinite reaches of space are a primary inspiration for Gulumbu Yunupingu, whose first depictions of stars date to 1999. Stars are frequently found in Yolngu ceremonial painting and relate to significant Dreaming narratives, such as the sisters Guthayguthay and Nhayay who became stars in the Milky Way, and the seven sisters who traveled by canoe, named Djulpan. These stories were taught to Yunupingu by her father, Mungurrawuy. Rather than literally depict these narratives, the artist conceives the stars as a metaphor for the unity of humanity: We are just like the stars. All gathered close together. We are really as one like the stars. GULUMBU YUNUPINGU Garak 1 2009 Ganyu (Stars) 2010 Ganyu (Stars) 2002 This is not a sacred story. This is a story for everybody to see. It refers to Djurrpun, the Evening Star that my father used to sing as it rose just after dusk. And as a child I remember those stories of Djurrpun. But
Page 9 Wall Text: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia Djurrpun is a sacred story that belongs not just to the Gumatj, but to other clans. And so I have taken any miny tji or sacred design out of this, and just left myself with the stars. And I am thinking that the people, the millions and billions of people in the world are, you know, just sitting there looking at the stars and think, Well how can we be separate if we re all under the same stars? We are like the stars, in that there are as many stars as there are people. Gulumbu Yunupingu NYAPANYAPA YUNUPINGU Djorra 2014 15 Felt tip pen and earth pigments on paper I am drawing on paper. These are not special stories. I am drawing my ideas. Stories from my head. I am still working. Drawing lines, work like this one... I am drawing trees on my paper. The picture is about the trees. More branches on that tree. As I am working on my story, I am thinking of the next one. Nyapanyapa Yunupingu NYAPANYAPA YUNUPINGU White Painting 2010 I do beautiful neat paintings and work. I do paintings, all of it, not with any other colors, like black, only with the white one... I didn t do trees, rocks or anything else, not at all... I only made designs. My father didn t teach me, I learnt it myself. I saw my father s hands painting and then my father said, I want you to do this, my daughter, to work this way. To paint as you are watching my hands. He painted as I watched him. As he did this he said, You will do this in the future my daughter. The painting I did was my own and I haven t made any mistakes, none. My lines aren t tangled and messy, not at all. Nyapanyapa Yunupingu NYAPANYAPA YUNUPINGU Light Painting 2010-11 Digital file, ed. AP Nyapanyapa Yunupingu has imparted a radical shift to Yolngu art. In contrast to previous generations of artists for whom every mark was intended to invoke the presence of ancestral spirits Yunupingu began to incorporate biographical elements into her paintings and eventually abandoned figuration altogether. In 2009, she began referring to her works as mayilimiriw a Yolngu word that translates as meaningless. Light Painting is composed of 124 drawings in white paint-pen on acetate. These drawings were scanned and set to an algorithm that randomly overlays the images in sets of three, each set to a different opacity. The process continues endlessly, at an almost imperceptible rate, only repeating after several hundred million iterations. There is no start and no end, so each time the work is viewed it is different. Light Painting forces an awareness of the passing of time as well as its inconsistencies and variations. Wall colors in the exhibition Red Earth 64 Charlotte s Locks 268 Parma Grey 27
Page 10 Wall Text: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia India Yellow 66 Off Black 57 ###
CHECKLIST Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia June 2 September 9, 2018 All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Nonggirrnga Marawili Lightning and the Rock, 2014 87 3/16 x 33 ½ in. Nonggirrnga Marawili, courtesy of Buku- Nonggirrnga Marawili Lightning and the Rock, 2014 76 3/8 23 5/8 in. Nonggirrnga Marawili, courtesy of Buku- Nonggirrnga Marawili Lightning and the Rock, 2014 76 3/8 20 1/16 in. Nonggirrnga Marawili, courtesy of Buku- Nonggirrnga Marawili Lightning and the Rock, 2014 81 1/8 22 7/8 in. Nonggirrnga Marawili, courtesy of Buku-
Page 2 Checklist: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Nonggirrnga Marawili Lightning and the Rock, 2014 57 1/16 28 3/8 in. Nonggirrnga Marawili, courtesy of Buku- Nonggirrnga Marawili Lightning and the Rock, 2014 82 1 2 23 5/8 in. Nonggirrnga Marawili, courtesy of Buku- Nonggirrnga Marawili Yurr yun, 2015 Earth pigments on wood 105 15/16 x 6 x 5 in. Nonggirrnga Marawili, courtesy of Buku- Nonggirrnga Marawili Yurr yun, 2015 107 1/2 x 11 x 9 7/8 in. Earth pigments on wood Nonggirrnga Marawili, courtesy of Buku- Nonggirrnga Marawili Yurr yun, 2015 103 1/8 x 7 7/8 x 7 7/8 in. Earth pigments on wood Nonggirrnga Marawili, courtesy of Buku-
Page 3 Checklist: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Nonggirrnga Marawili Yurr yun, 2015 Earth pigments on wood 105 5/16 x 71/8 x 5 7/8 in. Nonggirrnga Marawili, courtesy of Buku- Wintjiya Napaltjarri Women s Ceremonies at Watanuma, 2006 48 x 23 5/8 in. Wintjiya Napaltjarri, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists Wintjiya Napaltjarri Women s Ceremonies at Watanuma, 2007 57 7/8 x 71 7/8 in. Wintjiya Napaltjarri, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists Wintjiya Napaltjarri Women s Ceremonies at Watanuma, 2009 48 x 60 1/4 Wintjiya Napaltjarri, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists Wintjiya Napaltjarri Women s Ceremonies at Watanuma, 2010 48 x 35 13/16 in. Wintjiya Napaltjarri, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists
Page 4 Checklist: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Wintjiya Napaltjarri Women s Ceremonies at Watanuma, 2011 48 x 48 in. Wintjiya Napaltjarri, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists Wintjiya Napaltjarri Women s ceremonies at Pinari, 2011 42 1/8 x 11 in. Wintjiya Napaltjarri, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists Wintjiya Napaltjarri Women s Ceremonies at Watanuma, 2012 48 x 23 5/8 in. Wintjiya Napaltjarri, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists Yukultji Napangati Ancestral Women at Yunala, 2006 72 1/16 x 48 in. Yukultji Napangati, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists Yukultji Napangati Ancestral Women at Yunala, 2007 60 1/4 x 48 in. Yukultji Napangati, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists
Page 5 Checklist: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Yukultji Napangati Ancestral Women at Yunala, 2012 48 x 35 13/16 in. Synthetic polymer paint on canvas Yukultji Napangati, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists Yukultji Napangati Women s ceremonies at Marrapinti, 2015 72 1/16 x 48 in. Yukultji Napangati, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists Yukultji Napangati Women s ceremonies at Marrapinti, 2015 72 1/16 x 48 in. Yukultji Napangati, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists Yukultji Napangati Women s ceremonies at Marrapinti, 2015 72 1/16 x 48 in. Yukultji Napangati, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd, courtesy Papunya Tula Artists Angelina Pwerle Bush Plum, 2006 48 5/8 x 79 3/4 in. Angelina Pwerle, courtesy Niagara Galleries, Melbourne
Page 6 Checklist: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Angelina Pwerle Bush Plum, 2010 46 7/16 x 78 3/8 in. Angelina Pwerle, courtesy Niagara Galleries, Melbourne Angelina Pwerle Bush Plum, 2013 59 5/8 x 133 1/4 in. Angelina Pwerle, courtesy Niagara Galleries, Melbourne Angelina Pwerle Bush Plum, 2015 59 7/16 x 132 5/8 in. Angelina Pwerle, courtesy Niagara Galleries, Melbourne Carlene West Tjitjiti, 2013 71 5/8 x 47 5/8 in. Carlene West, courtesy Spinifex Arts Project, Tjuntjuntjara Carlene West Tjitjiti, 2014 43 5/16 x 32 11/16 in. Carlene West, courtesy Spinifex Arts Project, Tjuntjuntjara
Page 7 Checklist: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Carlene West Tjitjiti, 2015 78 3/4 x 54 in. Carlene West, courtesy Spinifex Arts Project, Tjuntjuntjara Carlene West Tjitjiti, 2015 78 3/4 x 114 1/8 in. Carlene West, courtesy Spinifex Arts Project, Tjuntjuntjara Carlene West Tjitjiti, 2015 53 15/16 x 43 5/16 Carlene West, courtesy Spinifex Arts Project, Tjuntjuntjara Carlene West Tjitjiti, 2015 78 3/4 x 53 15/16 in. Carlene West, courtesy Spinifex Arts Project, Tjuntjuntjara Carlene West Tjitjiti, 2015 78 3/4 x 114 1/8 in. Carlene West, courtesy Spinifex Arts Project, Tjuntjuntjara
Page 8 Checklist: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Regina Pilawuk Wilson Syaw (Fishnet), 2011 47 1/4 x 78 3/4 in. Regina Pilawuk Wilson, courtesy Durrmu Arts, Peppimenarti Regina Pilawuk Wilson Syaw (Fishnet), 2012 47 1/4 x 78 3/4 in. Regina Pilawuk Wilson, courtesy Durrmu Arts, Peppimenarti Regina Pilawuk Wilson Syaw (Fishnet), 2014 47 1/4 x 78 3/4 in. Regina Pilawuk Wilson, courtesy Durrmu Arts, Peppimenarti Regina Pilawuk Wilson Syaw (Fishnet), 2015 98 7/16 x 137 7/8 in. Regina Pilawuk Wilson, courtesy Durrmu Arts, Peppimenarti Regina Pilawuk Wilson Sun Mat, 2015 98 7/16 x 137 7/8 in. Regina Pilawuk Wilson, courtesy Durrmu Arts, Peppimenarti Lena Yarinkura Yawkyawk, 2015 62 1/4 x 39 3/8 in. Pandanus Spiralis, wood, feathers, earth pigments and synthetic binder. Lena Yarinkura, courtesy Maningrida Arts and Culture
Page 9 Checklist: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Lena Yarinkura Yawkyawk, 2015 63 x 100 in. Twined pandanus palm leaf (Pandanus spiralis), paperbark, natural pigments and feathers Lena Yarinkura, courtesy Maningrida Arts and Culture Lena Yarinkura Spider, 2015 61 5/8 x 48 in. Twined pandanus palm leaf (Pandanus spiralis), paperbark, natural pigments and feathers Lena Yarinkura, courtesy Maningrida Arts and Culture Lena Yarinkura Spider, 2015 106 5/8 x 63 in. Twined pandanus palm leaf (Pandanus spiralis), paperbark, natural pigments and feathers Lena Yarinkura, courtesy Maningrida Arts and Culture Lena Yarinkura & Bob Burrawal Buya Male, 2015 118 x 1 3/4 x 1 3/4 in. Twined pandanus palm leaf (Pandanus spiralis), bush gum, natural pigments and feathers on wood. Lena Yarinkura, courtesy Maningrida Arts and Culture Lena Yarinkura & Bob Burrawal Buya Male, 2015 118 x 2 x 1 3/4in. Twined pandanus palm leaf (Pandanus spiralis), bush gum, natural pigments and feathers on wood. Lena Yarinkura, courtesy Maningrida Arts and Culture
Page 10 Checklist: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Lena Yarinkura & Bob Burrawal Buya Male, 2015 118 x 1 1/16 x 1 1/16 in. Twined pandanus palm leaf (Pandanus spiralis), bush gum, natural pigments and feathers on wood Lena Yarinkura, courtesy Maningrida Arts and Culture Gulumbu Yunupingu Ganyu (Stars), 2002 27 19/25 x 15 7/20 in. The estate of Gulumbu Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala Gulumbu Yunupingu Ganyu (Stars), 2003 70 7/8 x 31 1/2 in. The estate of Gulumbu Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala Gulumbu Yunupingu Ganyu (Stars), 2005 33 7/8 x 10 5/8 in. The estate of Gulumbu Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala Gulumbu Yunupingu Ganyu (Stars), 2009 63 3/8 x 27 9/16 in. The estate of Gulumbu Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala
Page 11 Checklist: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Gulumbu Yunupingu Garak 1, 2009 51 3/16 x 11 in. The estate of Gulumbu Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala Gulumbu Yunupingu Ganyu (Stars), 2010 49 1/4 x 12 3/16 in. The estate of Gulumbu Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala Gulumbu Yunupingu Garak, 2010 29 1/8 x 22 1/16 in. The estate of Gulumbu Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala Gulumbu Yunupingu Garak, 2011 71 5/8 x 6 1/2 x 7in. The estate of Gulumbu Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala Gulumbu Yunupingu Ganyu (Stars), 2004 94 ½ x 6 1/2 x 6 1/4 in. Earth pigments on wood The estate of Gulumbu Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala
Page 12 Checklist: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Nyapanyapa Yunupingu White Painting, 2010 52 9/16 x 39 3/16 in. Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku- Nyapanyapa Yunupingu Circles, 2011 47 ¼ x 39 in. Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku- Nyapanyapa Yunupingu Untitled, 2013 64 3/16 x 15 ¾ in. Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku- Nyapanyapa Yunupingu Untitled, 2013 84 1/4 x 5 ½ x 6 in. Earth pigments on wood Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku- Nyapanyapa Yunupingu Untitled, 2013 83 7/8 x 5 7/8 x 5 in. Earth pigments on wood Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-
Page 13 Checklist: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia All works are collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. Photos: Sid Hoeltzell Nyapanyapa Yunupingu Untitled, 2013 94 7/8 x 9 7/16 x 7 in. Earth pigments on wood Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku- Nyapanyapa Yunupingu Circles, 2014 Nine panels of 30 in x 22 in. overall: dimensions variable Felt tip pen and earth pigments on paper Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku- Nyapanyapa Yunupingu Djorra, 2014-2015 Forty-five panels of 30 x 22in. each; overall dimensions variable Felt tip pen and earth pigments on paper Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku- Nyapanyapa Yunupingu Light Painting, 2010-11 Digital file, silent, ed. AP Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-
IN-GALLERY PROGRAMMING AND ENGAGEMENT Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia June 2 September 9, 2018 MAKE YOUR MARK COLLABORATIVE ARTWORK In-gallery interactive Inspired by the symbols in the artworks, think about your personal or family history and create your own symbol that you would want others to remember you by; then add your pattern to our community art boards. You can also add other symbols using the colored pencils provided. SYMBOLS SEARCH The nine Aboriginal women artists in this exhibition created abstract symbols and patterns through repetitive mark making with line, shape, pattern and texture. Some of their common symbols are shown on the symbol brochure available in the galleries. Their patterned artworks tell the story of their community history and provide a way to remember their ancestors. As you look around the exhibition, see if you can find some of these markings in the paintings. If you are with a group, you can pull apart the pages and select your favorite symbol to explore. MEDITATION PILLOWS Sit down and contemplate the cosmos on the meditation pillows in the galleries. The artists in the exhibition have spent a lifetime paying attention to the tiniest details of the Earth and zooming out to analyze the universe and the cosmos. AUDIO GUIDE & CONTEMPLATION AUDIO TOUR Listen to information about the artists and artwork from Klaus Ottmann (Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs, The Phillips Collection), and Henry F. Skerritt, (curator of Marking the Infinite, University of Virginia), and collector and philanthropist Dennis Scholl, and Bernida Webb Binder (Pacific Art Scholar). Use the contemplation audio tour stop to help guide you through close looking at an artwork of your choice. SHARE YOUR PHOTOS While exploring the exhibition, visitors are encouraged to take non-flash photos and share on social media with #PhillipsCollection and #MarkingtheInfinite. # # #
PUBLIC PROGRAMS Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia June 2 September 9, 2018 The information below was updated May 2018 and is subject to change. Please visit www.phillipscollection.org/events for the most up-to-date programming information. LECTURE June 14 6:30 pm PHILLIPS AFTER 5** July 5 5 8:30 pm ART WORKSHOP July 12 6:30 pm FILM SCREENING July 26 6 pm PHILLIPS AFTER 5** August 2 5 8:30 pm Marking Our Time: Aboriginal Women Artists and Contemporary Art Australian curator and art historian Henry Skerritt considers the work of the nine women included in the exhibition Marking the Infinite, arguing that their work can only be understood by taking into account their position within both Aboriginal culture and the transcultural space of the contemporary art world. The ability to cross cultural boundaries without forsaking its distinctive identity makes Aboriginal art some of the most challenging and important contemporary art being produced in the world today. The lecture will be followed by a conversation between Skerritt and Klaus Ottmann, Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs, The Phillips Collection. $12; free for members. Includes admission to special exhibition. Mateship July 4 commemorates 100 years of Mateship between the United States and Australia! The date marks the anniversary of the first time our troops fought side by side in an offensive action, at the Battle of Hamel on France s Western Front. Come find your mate and learn about US and Australia facts. $12; $10 for visitors 62 and older and students. Reservations recommended; members always admitted free, no reservation needed. Mark Making Teaching artist Racquel Keller will lead a drawing workshop inspired by Marking the Infinite. $25; $15 for members. Includes admission to special exhibition. Samson & Delilah A 2009 Australian film by indigenous director Warwick Thornton, Samson & Delilah was filmed in a remote Aboriginal community near Alice Springs. Described as a "survival love story, Samson and Delilah's world is an isolated community in the Central Australian desert. When tragedy strikes they embark on a journey of survival. Lost, unwanted, and alone they discover that life isn't always fair, but love never judges. The film won the Caméra d'or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated as Australia s official entry in the 2009 Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film category. $15; $5 for members ($30; $10 for members for three film series: Samson & Delilah (July 12), Rabbit- Proof Fence (August 16), and Ten Canoes (August 30)). Includes admission to special exhibition. Aussie Sizzle Come experience the annual food truck Phillips after 5 Australian style! Grab a sizzling sausage, authentic Australian savory pies, or soothing desserts from Captain Cookie. Try an Australian beer and cool off with Australian short films,
Page 2 Public Programs: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia enjoy the foot stomping Human Country Jukebox. $12; $10 for visitors 62 and older and students. Reservations recommended; members always admitted free, no reservation needed OPEN CONVERSATION August 9 6:30 pm FILM SCREENING August 16 6 pm WORKSHOP August 23 6 pm; 7 pm (45 minute classes) FILM SCREENING August 30 6 pm PHILLIPS AFTER 5** September 6 5 8:30 pm Indigenous Peoples August 9 marks the United Nations International Day of the World s Indigenous Peoples. It is estimated that there are over 370 million indigenous people in the world, living across 90 countries. This program also celebrates National Aboriginals and Islanders Day Observance Committee Week, and relates to the art and artists featured in Marking the Infinite. Included with special exhibition admission. Rabbit-Proof Fence Rabbit-Proof Fence is a 2002 Australian drama film directed by Phillip Noyce and based on the book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara. Molly, Daisy, and Gracie are Aboriginal children from Western Australia. In 1931, they are taken from their parents under government edict and sent to an institution where they are taught to re-invent themselves as members of "white" Australia. Molly plans a daring escape, and the three girls begin an epic journey back to their families, travelling 1,500 miles on foot with no food or water. $15; $5 for members ($30; $10 for members for three film series: Samson & Delilah (July 12), Rabbit-Proof Fence (August 16), and Ten Canoes (August 30)). Includes admission to special exhibition. Meditate with Marks: Meditation Workshop Practice the art of attention by drawing inspiration from works featured in Marking the Infinite. Guided by yoga and meditation instructor, Aparna Sadananda, this session will use meditative techniques as you gaze at art. $20; $8 for members. Includes admission to special exhibition. Ten Canoes Ten Canoes is a 2006 Australian drama film directed by Rolf de Heer and Peter Djigirr and starring Crusoe Kurddal. The title of the film arose from discussions between de Heer and David Gulpilil about a photograph of ten canoeists poling across the Arafura Swamp, taken by anthropologist Donald Thomson in 1936. It is the first ever movie entirely filmed in Australian Aboriginal languages. The film is partly in color and partly in black and white, in docu-drama style. The overall format is that of a moral tale. $15; $5 for members ($30; $10 for members for three film series: Samson & Delilah (July 12), Rabbit-Proof Fence (August 16), and Ten Canoes (August 30)). Includes admission to special exhibition. The Celestial and the Infinite Try and wrap your head around the celestial and the infinite while finding inspiration in Marking the Infinite. Enjoy a star gazing activity in partnership with the National Air and Space Museum. Understand your place in the world with a weaving activity inspired by works in Marking the Infinite. $12; $10 for visitors 62 and older and students. Reservations recommended; members always admitted free, no reservation needed
Page 3 Public Programs: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia TOURS June 10, 17, 24 July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 August 5, 12, 19, 26 September 2, 9 1 pm Introduction to Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia Highlights from the special exhibition. Included in admission to special exhibition; free for members. SPOTLIGHT TALKS June 14, 21, 28 July 12, 19, 26 August 9, 16, 23, 30 6 & 7 pm Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia Focused discussion about works of art from the special exhibition. Included in admission to special exhibition; free for members Spotlight talks on the second and fourth Thursday of the month (June 14 & 28, July 12 & 26, August 9 & 23) will also be offered in American Sign Language (ASL). All are welcome. ** Phillips after 5 is a lively evening of art and entertainment, with food and cash bar. Reservations are strongly recommended as this popular event tends to sell out in advance. $12, $10 for visitors 62 and over and students. Members always admitted free, no reservation needed. Exhibition admission: $12; $10 for visitors 62 and over and students; free for members and visitors 18 and under. The museum is closed on Mondays, New Year s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. # # #
Chevron is one of the world s leading integrated energy companies. Our success is driven by our people and their commitment to delivering industry-leading results in any business environment. We do this by operating responsibly, applying advanced technologies, capturing new high-return opportunities, and executing with excellence in a socially and environmentally responsible way. We believe that our business succeeds best when the communities where we work and live are thriving. For more than 60 years, this belief has helped guide our way in Australia. We consistently work to promote progress and prosperity through our business investments, and we help develop educated and skilled local workforces through our social investments. We place great importance on being a good community partner focused on working together to achieve better outcomes. For these reasons, we are proud to support the works of Aboriginal women artists at The Phillips Collection. Works that celebrate the value of diversity in our world. In Australia, we partner with organizations to help build leadership programs for Aboriginal women that inspire meaningful change in their lives. Because at Chevron, we believe progress beings when we all move forward. Sponsor Statement: Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia