Lot 53

The Artist
Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory, cat. no. 94D002 (accompanied by a copy of the certificate of authenticity)
Leonard Joel, Melbourne, The Thomas Vroom Collection, Melbourne, 26 February 2017, lot 349
The Le Pley Collection, Western Australia, acquired from the above in 2017

© Gloria Petyarre/Copyright Agency, 2024

"The lines on this canvas derive from the body paint design applied as part of the "awelye" (ceremony) Gloria Petyarre has custodial responsibility for this very individual species. In ceremony, she dramatically recalls through song and dance, those characteristics of the mythological mountain devil women that made her an individual and tough survivor.

Arnkerrthe was an old woman who lived at the soakage called Aneltyeye on the eastern side of Mt. Skinner Station that neighbours Utopia Station. Near this soakage was a a red ochre pit which had a limited supply. As a means of protecting this supply from negligent and over zealous use, she walked out in a northerly direction from her soak, and collected all ochred ceremonial paraphernalia from the women who lived in the area. This paraphernalia largely consisted of hairstring belts. With this booty, she travelled north to a place on Elkedra Station, where she "planted" half of hairstring belts. The second half was taken north again to a place near Three Ways, now a roadside stop a fair distance directly south of Tennant Creek. Both these places transformed and became red ochre pits that supplied other tribal groups. Whenever Gloria return to Aneltyeye, she carries some meat, lights a fire and cooks it. This ritual ensures that the red ochre will be looked after- possibly replenished."

As stated on the Delmore Gallery certificate of authenticity