Purkitji, 2006

120 x 80 cm

Est. $7,000 – $10,000

Hammer $4,500

Provenance: Warlayirti Artists, WA Art Mob, Tas, Cat No. AM 4294/06 100% of the hammer price on this painting goes to the Aboriginal Benefits Foundation which supports the health and welfare of artists and their communities
Artwork story: Boxer Milner lived on Tjaru land, where the country and vegetation move from flat and featureless rolling Spinifex plains to flood plains with enormous river channels and permanent water holes. Here the yearly cycles of flood and dry create swamps with abundant bird life, through which runs Purkitji, or Sturt Creek. This work depicts a ceremonial re-enactment of the creation story of Djaringarra, a site found along the central sections of the creek. Boomerangs that were carved by the artist were used as a stencil to create the painting. These boomerangs are clapped together during men's ceremonies. The circles represent tjurrnu (rockholes) which occur after the waters of Purkitji have receded following the wet season. Boxer's unique aesthetic was informed by his intimate knowledge of all the facets of the river system. His paintings all depict different physical and mythological aspects of the middle and upper stretches.

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Sale 1 · Lot 83

c.1934 – 2009

120 x 80 cm

Est. $7,000 – $10,000

Hammer $4,500

Provenance: Warlayirti Artists, WA Art Mob, Tas, Cat No. AM 4294/06 100% of the hammer price on this painting goes to the Aboriginal Benefits Foundation which supports the health and welfare of artists and their communities
Artwork story: Boxer Milner lived on Tjaru land, where the country and vegetation move from flat and featureless rolling Spinifex plains to flood plains with enormous river channels and permanent water holes. Here the yearly cycles of flood and dry create swamps with abundant bird life, through which runs Purkitji, or Sturt Creek. This work depicts a ceremonial re-enactment of the creation story of Djaringarra, a site found along the central sections of the creek. Boomerangs that were carved by the artist were used as a stencil to create the painting. These boomerangs are clapped together during men's ceremonies. The circles represent tjurrnu (rockholes) which occur after the waters of Purkitji have receded following the wet season. Boxer's unique aesthetic was informed by his intimate knowledge of all the facets of the river system. His paintings all depict different physical and mythological aspects of the middle and upper stretches.