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Lot description
The first painters in the remote community of Wirrimanu (Balgo Hills) were the last generation to undergo full initiation and live a traditional nomadic life in the bush before encountering European colonists. Balgo lies at the meeting of three great deserts (The Great Sandy, The Tanami and The Gibson) and is home to more than ten different tribal groups. During her lifetime, Lucy Yukenbarri was considered to be one of the most innovative and daring of the Balgo women painters. Laying down fields of intense colour with a thick, painterly texture was a hallmark of her work. Though her brushwork appears to be linear, the bands of colours are actually merged dots that she referred to as ‘kinti kinti’ (close, close). They dry quickly in the intense heat, building a chromatic density that has no time for gentle gradations or blended hues. The result is a rich immediacy of contrast and resonance. This work depicts a central rockhole in the Great Sandy Desert. It is surrounded by sand dunes, rich in bush food, particularly Pura, a wild bush tomato. Lucy Yukenbarri was a senior law woman with an irreplaceable knowledge of the ancient places, ceremonies, and narratives.