Tim Johnson, Untitled, 1981

Lot description

TIM JOHNSON born 1947 Turkey Tolson, 1981 acrylic on linen 30.5 x 35.5 cm signed verso 'Tim Johnson', 81 PROVENANCE Tim Johnson, New South Wales The Collection of Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO and Sir Nicholas Shehadie AC OBE, Sydney, New South Wales "This work is called "Turkey Tolson" and shows him and one of his paintings in the centre. It was painted at Papunya in 1981 and was the first time I'd used dots since some earlier pointillist style paintings done as a child in the 50 s at an art class. Turkey Tolson also worked on this painting, doing trees, clouds footprints, a humpy and a campfire." - Tim Johnson This painting records a moment from Tim Johnson's time in Papunya. It reflects a period of close engagement, where Johnson was working alongside artists connected to the early Papunya painting movement. Rather than a formal portrait, the image carries the immediacy of observation, shaped through proximity and exchange. The figure is the artist Turkey Tolson and is rendered with a loose and direct hand, set within an open field where surrounding elements remain minimal. The composition holds a sense of informality, as though capturing a passing moment rather than constructing a fixed likeness. What remains is a record of encounter, where painting becomes a means of connection. The work sits within a broader context of dialogue between artists, holding both the individuality of the sitter and the shared environment in which it was made. © TIMOTHY M JOHNSON / Copyright Agency, 2026