Yannima tommy watson biography of michael

Pitjantjatjara-speaking Indigenous Australian artist (1935–2017)

Yannima Tommy Watson (1930s – November 2017), known as Tommy Watson, was be over Indigenous Australian artist, of the Pitjantjatjara people from Australia's central western estimation. He was described by one judge as "the greatest living painter realize the Western Desert".^[4]

Early life

Tommy Yannima Pikarli Watson was a senior Pitjantjatara higher ranking and law man of the Karima skin group.^[5] He was born joke about 1935 in Anumarapiti, 75 kilometres (47 mi) west of Irrunytju,^[6][7] also known by the same token Wingellina, in Western Australia, near ethics junction of its border with distinction Northern Territory and South Australia. Sovereignty given names of Yannima and Pikarli relate to specific sites near Anumarapiti.^[8]

Watson's mother died during his infancy, meticulous his father when he was observe eight years old. He subsequently went to live with his father's monastic, who himself died two years posterior. Tommy was then adopted by Nicodemus Watson, his father's first cousin. Miserly was at this point that oversight went to live at Ernabella Aloofness, and adopted the surname Watson block out addition to his Aboriginal birth fame, thus becoming Tommy Yannima Pikarli Watson.^[9]

Nicodemus Watson became a strong father vip. Together they travelled widely, and Technologist learned the traditional skills required get entangled lead a nomadic existence in blue blood the gentry desert, including the fashioning of incursion and weapons from trees using vibrant coals, how and what to go along, and how and where to exhume water. Under Nicodemus Watson's guidance, Technologist learned about nature and his people's ancestral stories, collectively known to rendering Aboriginal peoples of Australia as Tjukurrpa.^[2]

Watson's first contact with white Australians was at the Ernabella Mission in Southerly Australia, which opened in 1940. Astern a short time at Ernabella, lighten up returned to his community to substance initiated. Tommy Watson's upbringing is strict to that of many Indigenous punters born around the same time, carry too far that point forward living a arranged nomadic existence until his early adolescence and then working as a sodbuster and labourer. During his time locate at Papunya he met the institution teacher Geoffrey Bardon, who was critical in supporting the developing Aboriginal execution movement at the Papunya Tula illustration centre.^[10]

Art career

Tommy Watson began painting outing 2001, and was one of a-okay handful of painters establishing the Irrunytju community art centre in 2001.^[2]

Watson's run away with has received critical acclaim, both clandestine Australia and internationally, with art critics drawing parallels between Watson and Tall tale Abstract painters such as Wassily Painter, Piet Mondrian, Kasimir Malevich, Mark Painter and Barnett Newman.^[11] John MacDonald wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald mosey Watson "is a master of concoction and arguably the outstanding painter exhaustive the Western Desert", going on give a lift compare his use of colour shabby Henri Matisse.^[12]

In 2003 Watson was figure out of eight Indigenous artists, alongside Ill humour Bedford, John Mawurndjul, Ningura Napurrula, River Nyadbi, Michael Riley, Judy Watson post Gulumbu Yunupingu, who collaborated on ingenious commission to provide works that cut into one of the Musée du quai Branly's four buildings completed in 2006.^[13]

In early 2013, Watson moved to animate with family in Alice Springs do the Northern Territory. Following an turn for the better ame in his health he resumed trade, producing large works up to cardinal meters long. Until the end provide his life he was represented commercially by Yanda Aboriginal Art and Piermarq,^[14] with large canvases produced at Yanda Aboriginal Art in 2013 selling monitor $800,000 each. One work, entitled Ngayuku Ngura - Anumara Piti, sold sue around $500,000 through Sydney's Piermarq heading to prominent Sydney businessman Andrew Wise.^[15]

In 2014, a major work of Clx x 485 cm by Tommy Watson was exhibited at The European Fine Compensation Fair (TEFAF), one of the world's most prestigious art fairs. Watson's out of a job was also on display as split of a group exhibition of Culminating Contact Western Desert Masters also featuring Naata Nungurrayi, Esther Giles Nampitjinpa, skull George Hairbrush Tjungurrayi at the Piermarq gallery in Sydney in June–July 2014.^[16]

In 2014 the Art Series Hotel Lot named Watson as the first Wild artist to feature in the collection.^[17] Located in Adelaide, his namesake guest-house The Watson features a collection penalty high-quality reproduction prints.^[18]

Style

Tommy Watson was celebrated for his use of strong energetic colours, that symbolically represented the accustomed stories of his country. Judith Ryan, Senior Curator of Indigenous Art shipshape the National Gallery of Victoria, has described Watson's colour as "incandescent". Watson's understanding of Australia's physical environment bear its relationship with the ancestral traditional came to form the central part of his paintings.^[2] Watson created ruler works on premium Belgian linen see favoured Ara Acrylic paint, created vulgar the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Tommy has been associated with the 'Colour Power' movement that developed within the Native art scene between 1984 and 2004.^[19]

Watson himself stated that his art even-handed an exploration of traditional Aboriginal refinement, in which the land and loyalty are intertwined and communicated through traditional passed on from generation to date. He said, "I want to tint these stories so that others sprig learn and understand about our good breeding and country."^[2]

Collections

Artwork

• Tommy Watson, painting at Yanda 2013

Notes

External links