Lot 33

Painted at Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory
The Collection of John Graham, Melbourne

Groote Eylandt barks in the 1920s and 30s, were loosely composed images on unpainted or red backgrounds. Black pigmented backgrounds became more common in the following two decades from the locally occurring manganese. Figures were often applied over the top of the dark backgrounds with rich red ochres.
The opening of manganese mines on the island in 1963 resulted in an influx of non-Indigenous people taking up residence on the island for the first time for work. This ready market stimulated the production of art and artefacts and saw a shift in the style of bark painting. The backgrounds of paintings quickly evolved with designs; the compositions became more complex and in some cases, monochrome figures were painted to stand out clearly against these highly decorated backgrounds.