Peter Marralwanga was an exponent of considerable creativity in the bark painting medium. While bark painting is seen to be ‘traditionalist’ Aboriginal art there is considerable scope for innovation.
As a very senior painter, Marralwanga created exciting images that drew on his knowledge of the sites and ceremonial themes in the region but he gave them new life in his unique treatments.
Dr Luke Taylor is an anthropologist with extensive experience working with aboriginal artists. He conducted long term field research with Peter Marralwanga and his family in western Arnhem Land in the early 1980s.
FLOORTALK: Saturday 29 July at 1pm // Aspects of Creativity in Marralwanga’s Art
Speaker: Dr Luke Taylor
Director of Research, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra
The talk will address the context of the major themes and techniques employed by Kunwinjku speaking bark painters who live south of Maningrida in western Arnhem Land. The focus is particularly on the way that Marralwanga creatively interpreted these themes in an individual way and look at the influence that he exerted on a group of younger artists, who are now well known.
