Artist: Jorna Newberry | Title: Walpa - Wind Dreaming | Year: 2019 | Medium: Synthetic Polymer Paint on Belgian Linen | Dimensions: 122 x 151 cm
ARTWORK STORY
This work depicts a Women’s site near an important rockhole, near Tjukurla. The soft roundels represent the rockholes as well as a ceremonial site. The lines represent sandhills. This site is an important site for Jorna.
Jorna paints with a softening of iconography through interlacing with intricate finely dotted patterning. This soft dotting technique is characteristic of many of the Mount Liebig women artists.
ARTIST PROFILE
COMMUNITY/REGION
Irrunytju, Western Australia
LANGUAGE
Pitjantjatjara
BIOGRAPHY
Jorna began painting in the mid-1990's at Warakurna, creating work for casual collectors Later she joined the Irrunytju arts centre and started painting for this group. Over recent years she has worked closely alongside her legendary uncle, Tommy Watson. She follows his instruction to favour abstraction as a stylistic mode to ensure secrecy of important cultural matters, rather than taking the more figurative approach. She says “Tommy has had a big influence on me. He teaches me to be respectful in the way I paint.”
ARTWORK STORY
This work depicts a Women’s site near an important rockhole, near Tjukurla. The soft roundels represent the rockholes as well as a ceremonial site. The lines represent sandhills. This site is an important site for Jorna.
Jorna paints with a softening of iconography through interlacing with intricate finely dotted patterning. This soft dotting technique is characteristic of many of the Mount Liebig women artists.
ARTIST PROFILE
COMMUNITY/REGION
Irrunytju, Western Australia
LANGUAGE
Pitjantjatjara
BIOGRAPHY
Jorna began painting in the mid-1990's at Warakurna, creating work for casual collectors Later she joined the Irrunytju arts centre and started painting for this group. Over recent years she has worked closely alongside her legendary uncle, Tommy Watson. She follows his instruction to favour abstraction as a stylistic mode to ensure secrecy of important cultural matters, rather than taking the more figurative approach. She says “Tommy has had a big influence on me. He teaches me to be respectful in the way I paint.”