♥ MINNIE PWERLE HUGE PAINTING BRILLIANT INVESTMENT WORK

Artist:                                      Minnie Pwerle (1910-2006)
Title:                                        Atnwengerrp Awelye (2005)
Medium:                                   Acrylic on Linen
Image Size:                              201 cm (l) x 78 cm (w)
Catalogue Number:                    HGMP18-0105
Certificate of Authenticity:        Yes
Signed:                                     Yes On Reverse
Shipping:                                  To protect this work, it will be removed from the stretcher and sent rolled in a heavy-duty painting mailing tube.

Provenance:

2005 - 2007   Horizon Gallery, Melbourne, Australia (purchased from the artist). 

2007 – 2009   Private Collection, Melbourne, Australia.

NOTES: This powerful contemporary work of art with many intricate details and subtle colour wash has perfect balance, fine shades and tone of colour and boasts multi dimensional physical presence which is rare in Minnie Pwerle work.   

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Minnie Pwerle biography:

Minnie Pwerle (1910-2006)

Minnie’s work has been highly sought after by art international and Australian collectors. Minnie Pwerle was born around 1910 near Utopia in the Australian central desert.  View Minnie Pwerle Curriculum Vitae page 331 Australian Encyclopaedia Aboriginal Artists dictionary of biographies. View Minnie Pwerle Curriculum Vitae page 331 Australian Encyclopaedia Aboriginal Artists dictionary of biographies.

AWARDS
2001 Minnie Pwerle won the prestigious The 18^th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Telstra Award selected for the Telstra Award, it was an enormous recognition for Minnie Pwerle work.

COLLECTIONS:
Hank Ebes Collection, Melbourne;
AMP Collection Melbourne;
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Darwin;
Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra;
Art Gallery of Western Australia Perth;
National Gallery of Victoria Melbourne;
National Gallery of Australia Canberra;
Art Gallery of South Australia Adelaide;
Artbank Sydney;
Perth, Holmes a'Court Collection; as well as many corporate and private collections as well throughout the world.

Minnie passed away on 18 March 2006. In accordance with Aboriginal Australian practices concerning respect for the dead, and out of respect for her family, she is referred to only as M. Pwerle for the time being in this article. This practice usually lasts at least 12 months.

Minnie Pwerle (pronounced Pearl) (born c. 1910, at Utopia Station, was an Australian Aboriginal artist. Her country was Atnwengerrp, (pronounced a-NOONG-a-pa), and her languages Anmatyerre and Alyawarr, languages from an area of Central Australia 250 km northeast of Alice Springs. M. is often compared to Emily Kame Kngwarreye. They both became prolific and highly praised artists who came to Western-style art late in life. M. began painting in 1999 when she was in her late eighties and continued to paint up until her death in March 2006. M. painted of the Awelye Atnwengerrp Dreamings (Women's Dreaming}. Her distinctive style used linear brush-work based on the body painting used for important women’s ceremonies in her native country of Atnwengerrp. She painted with a rich array of colours and her work contained a compelling visual and spiritual power. All the stories she painted conveyed her deep connection with the land, and knowledge of the foods that it provides. Besides Women's Dreaming, M. painted other Dreamings involving the bush melon, and bush melon seed, types of bush tucker traditionally used by her people, once very common, and becoming increasingly rarer. M. and the other women used to collect this fruit (that was green in colour and then ripened to a brown colour) and scrape out the small black seeds. They would then eat the fruit straight away or cut it into pieces and skewer them onto a piece of wood and dry them to be eaten in the coming months when bush tucker was scarce. M.’s work shared many features with that of other contemporary artists of the central and western deserts: the portrayal of stories or features for which she had responsibility within her family or clan; the strong influence of traditional designs in the art; vigorous use of colour; and the enthusiastic embrace of new techniques, such as acrylic paint on canvas. One of M.’s pieces was entered into the 18th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 2001. M. (like Emily Kngwarreye) experienced considerable pressure to produce works, mentioned in McCulloch's fourth edition of the Encyclopaedia of Australian Art. Her work was also mentioned in the context of the Australian Senate inquiry into Indigenous Australian art as being possibly the target of unethical business practices. This reflected broader issues in the industry surrounding artists like M., who were often older, had limited education or English language ability, and faced serious poverty both themselves and amongst their broader family. Questions were periodically raised about whether she was pressured to paint by others, whether she was paid fairly for her work, and whether some of the vast number of paintings traded under her name were created by her at all. The number of retail outlets still selling M.'s works in large quantities, after her short career late in life, continues to raise questions about ethics and practices in the sector.

Exhibitions

·         2000 M. Pwerle Sydney, Melbourne & Alice Springs

·         2000 DACOU in association with AMP, AMP building, Sydney.

·         2000 Gallery Savah, Sydney

·         2001 Out of Utopia, Canberra

·         2001 San Anselmo, Marin County California, USA.

·         2001 Small Stories Perth WA.

·         2001 Desert Colour - My Country, Darwin, Northern Territory

·         2001 Painting Country, Tandanya, Adelaide

·         2001 Santa Fe, New Mexico USA.

·         2001 Women Artists of the Australian Desert, Auckland, New Zealand

·         2002 Solo Exhibition, Gallery Savah, Sydney

·         2002 United - Mother and Daughter", Alison Kelly Gallery, Victoria

·         2002 New York City, UTSA

·         2003 M. Pwerle: Original & Authentic Aboriginal Art, Melbourne

·         2003 Alice Springs.

·         2003 M. Pwerle & Mitjili Napurrula Japingka Gallery, Fremantle

·         2003 Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

·         2003 Art from the Dreamtime, Portland Art Museum

·         2004 Diva's of the Desert, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs

·         2005 Utopia Revealed Japingka Gallery, Fremantle

·         2006 Solo Exhibition, Gallery Savah, Brisbane

·         2000 M. Pwerle Sydney, Melbourne & Alice Springs

·         2000 DACOU in association with AMP, AMP building, Sydney.

·         2000 Gallery Savah, Sydney

·         2001 Out of Utopia, Canberra

·         2001 San Anselmo, Marin County California, USA.

·         2001 Small Stories Perth WA.

·         2001 Desert Colour - My Country, Darwin, Northern Territory

·         Painting Country, Tandanya, Adelaide

·         2001 Santa Fe, New Mexico USA.

·         2001 Women Artists of the Australian Desert, Auckland, New Zealand

·         2002 Solo Exhibition, Gallery Savah, Sydney

·         2002 United - Mother and Daughter", Alison Kelly Gallery, Victoria

·         2002 New York City, UTSA

·         2003 M. Pwerle: Original & Authentic Aboriginal Art, Melbourne

·         2003 Alice Springs.

·         2003 M. Pwerle & Mitjili Napurrula Japingka Gallery, Fremantle

·         2003 Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

·         2003 Art from the Dreamtime, Portland Art Museum

·         2004 Diva's of the Desert, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs

·         2005 Utopia Revealed Japingka Gallery, Fremantle

·         2006 Solo Exhibition, Gallery Savah, Sydney

Collections

·         Art Gallery of South Australia (Adelaide)

·         Queensland Art Gallery (Brisbane)

·         National Gallery of Australia (Canberra)

·         Museum & Art Gallery Northern Territory (Darwin)

·         Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney)

·         Art Bank (Sydney)

·         National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne)

·         Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne)

·         Art Gallery of Western Australia (Perth)

·         Homes a Court Gallery and gallery Collection (Perth)

·         Kelton Foundation

·         Kreglinger Collection

·         Thomas Vroom Collection

·         AMP Collection

·         John McBride Collection Hank

·         Ebes Collection

·         Fred Torres Collection

Minnie Pwerle was born on the banks of the Sandover River, 350 kilometres northeast of Alice Springs. Her country is Atnwengerrp and her language is Anmatyerre and Alyawarr. Minnie was one of six children and went on to become the mother of seven children including International artist Barbara Weir. Minnie commenced painting on canvas in 1999 - and was immediately noticed by Galleries and Collectors worldwide - after a lifetime of ceremonial body painting. Body paint designs are worn to represent Dreamings and various symbols are specific to particular rituals. Minnie then started painting batiks in the 1980's completing works for the Robert Holmes a Court Collection. Minnie's paintings reflect her country, the bush tucker so important to her desert heritage and the women's ceremonial body paint inherent in her culture. The circular design of the Bush Melon and the patterned lines of the Women's body paint are presented in bold and striking colours reminiscent of the late Emily Knwarreye's later works, and those of the Batik designs in which Minnie was involved.

Minnie work rapidly drew the attention of both local and international collectors. Minnie is now regarded as one of Australia's most important indigenous talents and is compared with her late friend and contemporary, Emily Kngwarreye. Minnie paints with distinctive linear fluidity as she depicts her country, Awelye Atnwengerrp. She experiments with bold and brilliant colours and adopts traditional body painting designs conveying her intuitive connection with her country. Minnie’s work is immensely joyful. Her paintings convey a rare energy and meaning which is infectious to the viewer. She paints with a rich array of colour and her work contains a compelling visual and spiritual power. The stories that she paints convey her deep connection with the land, and knowledge of the foods that it provides. Minnie is now regarded as one of Australia's most important indigenous talents and is compared with her late friend and contemporary, Emily Kngwarreye. Minnie paints with distinctive linear fluidity as she depicts her country, Awelye Atnwengerrp. She experiments with bold and brilliant colours and adopts traditional body painting designs conveying her intuitive connection with her country. Minnie’s work is immensely joyful. Her paintings convey a rare energy and meaning which is infectious to the viewer. She paints with a rich array of colour and her work contains a compelling visual and spiritual power. The stories that she paints convey her deep connection with the land, and knowledge of the foods that it provides.

It was not until 1999 that she painted her first canvas and rapidly drew the attention of both local and international collectors. Minnie is now regarded as one of Australia's most important indigenous talents and is compared with her late friend and contemporary, Emily Kngwarreye. Minnie paints with distinctive linear fluidity as she depicts her country, Awelye Atnwengerrp. She experiments with bold and brilliant colours and adopts traditional body painting designs and bush melon seeds, conveying her intuitive connection with her country. Minnie’s work is immensely joyful. Her paintings convey a rare energy and meaning which is infectious to the viewer. Minnie Pwerle is the mother of the internationally renowned artist Barbara Weir. She has exhibited extensively throughout Australia and the USA.

One of Minnie’s pieces was entered into the 18^th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Telstra Award in 2001. To be selected for the Telstra Award is an enormous recognition of her work. The Dreamings which Minnie paints are Body Painting (Awelyewe - Atnwengerrp), Bush Melon, and the Bush Melon Seed. Once very abundant and fruiting in the summer season, the bush melon is now very hard to find. Minnie and the other women used to collect this fruit (that was green in colour and then ripened to a brown colour) and scrape out the small black seeds.  They would then eat the fruit straight away or cut it into pieces and skewer them onto a piece of wood and dry them to be eaten in the coming months when bush tucker was scarce. Her distinctive style uses linear brush-work based on the Body Painting used for important women’s ceremonies in her native country of Atnwengerrp.  She paints with a rich array of colours and her work contains a compelling visual and spiritual power. All the stories that she paints convey her deep connection with the land, and knowledge of the foods that it provides.

Exhibitions