Many Hands Art Centre

This work was featured in Tarnanthi 2015

Suspended circular skirts, dynamic 3D forms. One could imagine them ‘swishing’ across a dance floor, moving landscapes that celebrate the colour, form and spiritual signifcance of Ntaria country in central Australia. The Namatjira Collection, with the theme ‘Inti ljapa ljapa irapakalam (butterfy going round and round)’, was designed by Kevin Namatjira, Lenie Namatjira, Gloria Pannka, Hubert Pareroultja, Mervyn Rubuntja and Peter Tjutjatja Taylor, descendants of the renowned artist, Albert Namatjira.

It is something special to paint in a circle; this is new for us and different from painting on watercolour boards. I feel very proud to see my country on a skirt ... it is important to pass our skills on to the younger generation – in this way we get them enthusiastic about our tradition
Gloria Pannka

The vibrant colours of central Australia sing out in these works, bright sunlight on white bark, pink-red earth, and the soft mauve of distant mountains. The design elements of shape, space and form are also significant aspects of these compositions.

The circular format of the original watercolours enables the viewer to consider the land from a fresh perspective. The repetition of natural forms evokes the cycle of life across many generations, as the viewer looks down onto beloved places. The circle is a powerful organic and geometric shape, reminding us of the sun, the moon and the earth, as well as the perfectly round shape of the human eye. The circle suggests unity and connectedness, a deep understanding of place over generations. Contemporary technology has been used to create the fabrics for the skirts – the watercolours were scanned at high resolution and then digitally printed onto cotton.

Namatjira Collection, installation view, TARNANTHI | Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts, Art Gallery of South Australia.

  • Compare the landscapes of the Namatjira Collection with others you see in the Gallery.
  • Do you have a family tradition which has been passed on from one generation to the next? It could be a favourite recipe or an object that belonged to one of your ancestors. Write a short prose piece about a special tradition in your family.
  • Research the life and work of Albert Namatjira. Write a brief report about why his work is important for today’s students to learn about. Investigate the geography of the western MacDonnell Ranges.
  • Find out about historical artists and designers who have created fashion inspired by the Australian landscape.
  • A circular format has been used to create works of art in a variety of cultures. Research some of these forms, such as the tondo or mandala, and make your own version.

Go round and round – scan one of your own drawings or paintings using a digital drawing app or program and experiment with the possibilities created by using sections of your work to create an image in a circular format.

Try the watercolour technique to record a favourite place. Practise using washes of colour to create light and shade.

Design your own fashion garment inspired by the 1950s.

‘Haiku’ is a Japanese poetry form with a focus on nature, with three lines of five, seven and five syllables. Create a haiku to record the natural elements you see in a work from the Namatjira Collection. Here’s an example:
Distant mauve hill forms
Tall gums with ghostly white bark
Reach towards blue sky.

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