Today’s photo is a painting by an aboriginal artist from the Utopia Region of Australia, named Jeannie Petyarre. As with aboriginal artists in general, Jeannie is a custodian for certain elements of her family tradition, which then become the themes for her paintings. In this case, she is depicting the bush yam flower. Bush yam is an important food source for her community. Along with her exceptional use of color, it is also interesting to note that Jeannie paints from the outside toward the center of her canvas. Cool, huh? And my photo doesn’t even do the work justice!
We learned about Jeannie at The Artery in Sydney, a not-for-profit gallery specializing in contemporary aboriginal art. In a happy turn of events, the gallery was located just two doors down from Hotel Altamont. I had visited the indigenous collection at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne and, while I had appreciated some of the work, I hadn’t been inspired by it. The work displayed at The Artery, on the other hand, immediately inspired me and continued to hold my interest regardless of how many times I dragged Brian and Mom inside. We all enjoyed several lovely conversations with gallery manager, Hayley, and owner, Alesha.
What are you loving right now?
Cheers,
