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Lot description
Alec Mingelmanganuâs Wandjina paintings were first recognised by the public in mid-1975, when an ochre on bark painting under the title âAustral Gothicâ was entered into the Boab Festival Art Competition, Derby, WA by Kim Akerman. Unfortunately, the judge considered that the work, while a brilliant example of Kimberley Aboriginal art, was undoubtedly an early ethnographic piece that consequently did not meet the conditions of the competition â i.e. a work executed within the last 12 months. On being informed, however, that the work was in fact an original and contemporary piece, the judge persuaded the West Kimberley Shire Council to make a payment equivalent to the value of first prize to the artist. Alec Mingelmanganu was first formally exhibited in the First Wandjina Artist exhibition at Aboriginal Traditional Arts Perth in 1976. Art dealer Mary Macha introduced him to painting on canvas in 1979 and, in 1980, she organised Alecâs first solo exhibition in Perth. It was while in Perth that Alec had the opportunity to view works by other artists that had been painted on monumental canvases. As a result of this experience, Mingelmanganu was to paint four exceptionally large works of his own prior to his death. This particular painting was produced in 1975, before stable fixatives in the form of commercial wood glues had been introduced to Kimberley artists. This painting was gifted to Akerman's brother Piers and sister-in-law Suzanne in the late 1970s.