Due to the sad passing of Minnie Pwerle NONE of these works are available for sale till further notice.

Minnie's paintings have developed directly from her experience as a ritual body-painter, with their free, flowing curves and circular designs, traditionally finger-painted on the breasts and upper bodies of the singers and dancers.

Biography

Minnie Pwerle was born around 1910 in the Utopia region of Central Australia. Her country is Atnwengerrp, now a very small community on a bank of the Sandover River, 350 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs. Minnie was one of six children, and is the mother of seven children, one of whom is Barbara Weir, another of the most respected Aboriginal artists painting today. Minnie currently lives in Utopia at the Arlparra store.

Minnie had a long career as a ritual body painter at women's ceremonies before taking up batik painting in the 1980's, at which time she completed work for the Robert Holmes a` Court Collection. Only in 1999 did she began to paint on canvas, as a result of watching others painting in the workshop of her grandson, Fred Torres. In 2000 Minnie had her first solo exhibition in Melbourne. Since then she has exhibited regularly throughout Australia, and was included in the Australian Art Collector's list of "50 of Australia's most collectible artists" in 2004.

The Paintings

Minnie Pwerle paints three main subjects, Awelye-Atnwengerrp, Bush Melon and Bush Melon Seed, but she has also used other titles, such as Bush Medicine. Awelye signifies Women's Ceremony, and Atnwengerrp refers to her country.

The Awelye-Atnwengerrp paintings have developed directly from her experience as a ritual body-painter, resembling as they do the patterns and designs used in these ceremonies, which vary depending on their subject and the season, and the seniority of the women. In the ceremonial designs a variety of powders ground from charcoal and yellow and red ochres are finger-painted on the breasts and upper bodies of the singers and dancers. The paintings show lines of varying lengths and widths, and a variety of colours is used to build up these Dreamings.

The Bush Melon and Bush Melon Seed paintings refer to the sweet food of a small bush found only in Atnwengerrp. The bush melon, which is now rare, fruits in the summer season, when it is harvested by the women. The small black seeds were eaten then and there, and the broken melon could be skewered and dried for storing. Minnie's paintings of these subjects show free, flowing curves and circles, again following the breast designs used in body painting.

Collections

AMP Collection

John McBride Collection

Hank Ebes Collection

Fred Torres Collection

National Gallery of Victoria

Queensland Art Gallery.

Exhibitions

Solo and Group Exhibitions (selected)

2000: DACOU Gallery in association with AMP, Utopia Artists, Sydney.

2001: Desert Colour - My Country Darwin NT

2001: Painting Country Tandanya, Adelaide

2001: Combined exhibition, Santa Fey, New Mexico USA

2001: ‘Out of Utopia’ Canberra. With Barbara Weir.

2001: San Anselmo, Marin County, California, USA.

2001: ‘Minnie Pwerle, Mary Pantjiti McLean, Tumaru Purlykumunu: Small Stories', Perth WA.

2001: 'Desert Colour - My Country’, Darwin NT.

2001: ‘Painting Country’, Tandanya, Adelaide.

2001: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.

2001: ‘Women Artists of the Australian Desert’, Auckland, New Zealand.

2003: 'Minnie Pwerle' Original & Authentic Aboriginal Art, Melbourne

2003: 'Minnie Pwerle', Alice Springs

2004: Lines IV, Fire-Works Gallery Brisbane

Sources