Ginger Riley Munduwalawala Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Ginger Riley Munduwalawala Art Value Price Guide

Nov. 20, 2024
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c1936-2002), (Untitled) c1998
Est: $7,000 - $9,000
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, VICTORIA GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c1936-2002) (Untitled) c1998 synthetic polymer paint on canvas on board 61.5 x 76.0 cm; 67.0 x 82.0 cm (framed) bears inscription verso: AK4212/ GINGER RILEY
Menzies
Apr. 17, 2024
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA circa 1936-2002 Ngak Ngak in Limmen Bight Country 1990 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 193 x 167.5 cm
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA circa 1936-2002 Ngak Ngak in Limmen Bight Country 1990 synthetic polymer paint on canvas bears inscription 'AK907 / NOV/DEC 1990' verso 193 x 167.5 cm PROVENANCE Painted at Ngukurr, Northern Territory Alcaston House Gallery, Melbourne Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above on 10 May 1991
Smith & Singer
Mar. 26, 2024
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, 1995
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 - 2002) LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, 1995 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 188.0 x 196.0 cm bears inscription verso: artist's name, date and Alcaston Gallery cat. AK3314 PROVENANCE Painted at Borroloola, Northern Territory Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above This painting is accompanied by a certificate from Alcaston Gallery. ESSAY ‘My mother’s country is in my mind.’1 Distinguished by their daring palette, dynamic energy and strongly flattened forms, Riley’s bold, brilliantly coloured depictions celebrating the landscape and mythology of his mother’s country are admired among the finest in contemporary Indigenous art. Emerging at a time when barks were the familiar output for his Arnhem Land country and Papunya Tula paintings were considered the norm, his striking interpretations not only challenged, but irrevocably changed, preconceived notions of Indigenous art – thus earning him the moniker ‘the boss of colour’ by artist David Larwill. Notably influential upon such idiom was Riley’s chance encounter during his adolescence with celebrated watercolourist Albert Namatjira, whose non-traditional aesthetic and concept of ‘colour country’ left an indelible impression upon the young artist. Encouraged by ‘…the idea that the colours of the land as seen in his imagination could be captured in art with munanga (white fella) paints’,2 it was not, however, until three decades later that Riley would have the opportunity to fully explore his talent when the Northern Territory Open College of TAFE established a printmaking workshop in the Ngukurr Aboriginal Community (formerly known as the Roper River Mission). Notwithstanding his mature age of 50, Riley rapidly developed his own highly sophisticated style and distinct iconography and, after initially exhibiting with the other Ngukurr-based painters, soon established an independent career at Alcaston Gallery. Enjoying tremendous success both locally and abroad over the following sixteen years before his untimely death in 2002, Riley received a plethora of awards including the inaugural National Heritage Commission Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1993 and an Australia Council Fellowship in 1997 – 98, and in 1997, was the first living indigenous artist to be honoured with a retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Capturing the saltwater area extending from the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria along the Limmen Bight River to the weather-worn rocky outcrops known as the ‘Four Archers’, Limmen Bight Country, 1995 offers a stunning example of Riley’s heroic landscapes. Pivotal to the composition is Garimala, the mythological Taipan who, according to the ancestral dreaming, created the Four Archers – an area regarded as ‘…the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish’3 – and lives in the waterhole nearby. Here the mythological serpent is depicted as a pair of snakes (a typical convention to denote him travelling), while the Four Arches are envisaged in multiple, emphasising their significance and reflecting different viewpoints. A dominant motif of Riley’s oeuvre, such aerial overview is informed by the artist’s strong sense of place; as he observes, he often paints ‘…on a cloud, on top of the world looking down… In my mind, I have to go up to the top and look down to see where I’ve come from, not very easy for somebody else, but all right for me. I just think in my mind and paint from top to bottom, I like that’.4 Similarly presiding over the landscape here is the totemic white-breasted sea eagle, Ngak Ngak who, depicted mid-flight, typically fulfils the role of a sentinel or guardian protecting the country, while weaving its way through the centre of the composition, the Limmen Bight River appears as an intense blue undulating ribbon, offering not only a dramatic visual accent but poignantly anchoring the work to the artist’s mother country. A vibrant celebration of the joy of belonging to the saltwater country of the Mara people, indeed the work embodies Riley’s powerful vision of his mother’s country as a mythic space – a mindscape whose kaleidoscope of dazzling colours and icons continually evoke wonder and mystery in the viewer with each new encounter. 1. Riley, cited in Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p. 15 2. Riley, cited ibid. 3. Riley, ibid., p. 29 4. Riley, ibid., p. 27 VERONICA ANGELATOS © courtesy of The Estate of Ginger Riley and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 26, 2024
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, CHRISTMAS AT OLD ROPER RIVER MISSION, 1995 - 96
Est: $80,000 - $120,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 - 2002) CHRISTMAS AT OLD ROPER RIVER MISSION, 1995 - 96 synthetic polymer paint on cotton duck 129.0 x 257.5 cm signed lower left: Ginger Riley bears inscription verso: artist’s name and Alcaston Gallery cat. AK3306 PROVENANCE The Anglican Diocese of the Northern Territory, Darwin, a gift from the artist in November 1996 ESSAY This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Alcaston House Gallery which states: ‘In 1908 the Church of England Mission Society established a Mission Station on the Roper River in the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory, which was known as the Roper River Mission. The Anglican Church was replaced by a government agency in 1968 and the community is now called Ngukurr, which means a place of many stones. During 1995 Ginger Riley Munduwalawala was asked to paint a work to hang in the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral in Darwin. It was an initiative of the Very Reverend Michael Chiplin Dean of Darwin, the aim being to increase the general congregation’s awareness of the Aboriginal people in the parish. After much discussion and thought, Ginger Riley painted his mother's country at Limmen Bight and his interpretation of the Anglican church set in the Limmen Bight country landscape. He called this painting Christmas at the old Roper River Mission. The black painted up figures, who are sitting away from their campfires, tells the story of the Aboriginal people who did not convert to the Anglican faith, rather they continued to celebrate their spirituality in the traditional way. The large [structure] with the crucifix and Aboriginal people (not painted up) depicts those who embraced the Anglican faith. The bottom left-hand side of this painting shows the abandoned empty [shelters] and campfires confirming that all the people had decided, old ways or new ways. However, the fires left burning could suggest that many people embraced Christianity whilst maintaining their traditional beliefs. Ngak Ngak the white breasted sea eagle acting as sentinel, observes the country and all that is happening. The Limmen Bight River and the Four Arches, where the artist believes creation began, is an integral part of this work. Whilst Ginger Riley Munduwalawala did not spend a great deal of time at Roper, the doctrine and especially the Christmas celebrations were fond memories, with lasting spiritual effects on his day-to-day life. He often referred to his Church when speaking of the old days. He held deep spiritual beliefs tied up in his inherited responsibilities to his country which he expresses through his creative energy.’ © courtesy of The Estate of Ginger Riley and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Apr. 04, 2023
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (circa 1936-2002) Untitled (Limmen Bight Country)
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (circa 1936-2002) Untitled (Limmen Bight Country) synthetic polymer paint on Arches paper 50.0 x 64.0cm (19 11/16 x 25 3/16in).
Bonhams
Mar. 22, 2023
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, I. CREATION – FOUR ARCHERS WITH NGAK NGAK, GARIMALA AND ANT HILLS, 1993 II. W..., 1993
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 - 2002) I. CREATION – FOUR ARCHERS WITH NGAK NGAK, GARIMALA AND ANT HILLS, 1993 II. W..., 1993 I. CREATION – FOUR ARCHERS WITH NGAK NGAK, GARIMALA AND ANT HILLS, 1993 II. WAWALU AT THE FOUR ARCHERS WITH SACRED SHARK LIVER TREE, 1993 III. NGAK NGAK ACTING AS SENTINEL IN LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, 1993 IV. ANGRY BULUKBUN IN LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, 1993 V. WAWALU WITH ANCESTORS AT THE FOUR ARCHERS, 1993 VI. LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY BEFORE THE WET, 1993 synthetic polymer paint on craft paper 56.0 x 56.0 cm (each) each signed lower centre: GINGER . RILEY each inscribed with titles on typed labels verso PROVENANCE Painted in the Ngukurr region of South–East Arnhem land in 1993 Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne The Laverty Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above in September 1993 EXHIBITED A century of collecting, 1901 – 2001: celebrating the Centenary of Federation by showcasing works from private collections, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, University of New South Wales, College of Fine Arts, Sydney, 29 March – 28 April 2001 (IV) Heart and Soul: the Laverty Collection, Sydney, AAMU, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 20 January – 10 June 2012 (I, II, III, IV, V, VI) LITERATURE Laverty, C., Diversity and Strength: Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art – A Private Collection, Arts of Asia, Hong Kong, November – December 2013, cat. 31 (illus. front cover and p. 93 (VI)) Beyond Sacred: Australian Aboriginal Art: The Collection of Colin and Elizabeth Laverty, edition II, Kleimeyer Industries Pty Ltd, Melbourne, 2011, pp. 358 – 361 (illus.), 390 Expressieve kracht, Kunst & Cultuur magazine, Netherlands, no. 1, March 2012, p. 24 (illus.) (III) ESSAY Pulsating with energy and enlivened by Riley’s daring use of colour, the suite of six paintings offered here encapsulate a sequence of events inspired by the artist’s mother country – the coastal saltwater area in south-east Arnhem Land which extends from the Gulf of Carpentaria along the Limmen Bight River to the Four Archers, approximately 50 kilometres inland. Punctuating the works are many signature motifs from Riley’s repertoire, including the mythological serpent Garimala (here depicted as two snakes to denote him travelling, or alternatively as a rainbow associated with water and the life cycle); the totemic white-breasted sea eagle, Ngak Ngak, who fulfils the role of a sentinel or guardian protecting the country; the heavy, rain-filled clouds which herald the fertile abundance of the wet season, while also symbolising the artist’s mother; and the shark liver tree which is not a natural tree but a ceremonial totemic construction pertaining to his mother’s creation story. Indeed, according to the ancestral dreaming, Garimala journeyed from afar down the Limmen Bight River to create the geographical formation known as the Four Archers – an area to which Riley refers as ‘the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish’1 and where the serpent lives nearby. The story continues that Garimala ‘travelled from the Four Archers to Nyamiyukanji in the Limmen Bight River, disappeared under the water and metamorphosed into the Rainbow Serpent’2, associated with the life-giving properties of fresh water, the monsoon season and the continuing cycle of life; while in another manifestation, this snake hero becomes Bulukbun, an aggressive, fire-breathing serpent dragon who rises out of the sea and kills people. Although much of Riley’s oeuvre is distinguished by the endurance of this singular narrative, his iconography is not restrictive, nor does it betray a lack of innovation. To the contrary, the repetition of his mother’s stories allows for greater depth of exploration and revelation; as Riley himself reflects, such paintings are ‘…the same, but different.’3 Same referring to the consistently employed subject matter, story and country, but different in each work’s unique conception, paint and design. 1. Riley cited in Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p.15 2. Riley, ibid., p.30 3. Riley, ibid., p.10 VERONICA ANGELATOS © courtesy of The Estate of Ginger Riley and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 22, 2023
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, ANGRY BULUKBUN, 1990
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 - 2002) ANGRY BULUKBUN, 1990 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 141.0 x 169.0 cm bears inscription verso: artist's name, date and Alcaston Gallery cat. AK856 PROVENANCE Painted at Ngukurr, Northern Territory Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne EXHIBITED Mother Country In Mind: The Art of Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 16 July – 22 September 1997, cat. 28 (label attached verso) LITERATURE Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p. 69 (illus.) ESSAY ‘My mother’s country is in my mind.’1 Distinguished by their daring palette, dynamic energy and strongly flattened forms, Riley’s bold, brilliantly-coloured depictions celebrating the landscape and mythology of his mother’s country are admired among the finest in contemporary Indigenous art. Emerging at a time when barks were the familiar output for his Arnhem Land country and Papunya Tula paintings were considered the norm, his striking interpretations not only challenged, but irrevocably changed, preconceived notions of Indigenous art – thus earning him the moniker ‘the boss of colour’ by artist David Larwill. Notably influential upon such idiom was Riley’s chance encounter during his adolescence with celebrated watercolourist Albert Namatjira, whose non-traditional aesthetic and concept of ‘colour country’ left an indelible impression upon the young artist. Encouraged by ‘…the idea that the colours of the land as seen in his imagination could be captured in art with munanga (white fella) paints’,2 it was not, however, until three decades later that Riley would have the opportunity to fully explore his talent when the Northern Territory Open College of TAFE established a printmaking workshop in the Ngukurr Aboriginal Community (formerly known as the Roper River Mission). Notwithstanding his mature age of 50, Riley rapidly developed his own highly sophisticated style and distinct iconography and, after initially exhibiting with the other Ngukurr-based painters, soon established an independent career at Alcaston Gallery. Enjoying tremendous success both locally and abroad over the following sixteen years before his untimely death in 2002, Riley received a plethora of awards including the inaugural National Heritage Commission Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1993 and an Australia Council Fellowship in 1997 – 98, and in 1997, was the first living indigenous artist to be honoured with a retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Significantly exhibited in this ground-breaking retrospective, Angry Bulukbun, 1990 offers a stunning example of Riley’s heroic landscapes inspired by his mother’s country – specifically, the saltwater area extending from the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria along the Limmen Bight River to the weather-worn rocky outcrops known as the ‘Four Archers.’ Pivotal to the composition is Ngak Ngak, the white-breasted sea eagle depicted in profile who plays the role of sentinel or guardian protecting the country, and on the right, the powerful creator-snake Garimala who is here dramatically transformed into the fierce, fire-breathing serpent-dragon named Bulukbun. According to the ancestral dreaming, this mythological Taipan created the Four Archers – an area regarded as ‘…the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish’3 – and lives in the waterhole nearby. If elsewhere in Riley’s oeuvre Garimala is depicted as a pair of snakes (a typical convention to denote his travelling) or a rainbow (symbolic of water, the seasons and the life cycle), when portrayed in the guise of Bulukbun, he is invariably angry, as illustrated by the expanding scaly spines on his back and his fiery breath. Indeed, as the artist notes, the more aggressive Bulukbun becomes, the more he raises the spines on his back, while his forked tongue and the deadly flames he expels (or streams of bubbles if he is underwater, as pictured here) are a strong warning to all to keep their distance.4 Like the best of Riley’s achievements, the present embodies magnificently the artist’s powerful vision of his mother’s country as a mythic space – a mindscape whose kaleidoscope of dazzling colours and icons continually evokes wonder and mystery in the viewer with each new encounter. 1. Riley cited in Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p. 15 2. Riley cited ibid. 3. Riley cited ibid., p. 29 4. Riley cited ibid., p. 31 VERONICA ANGELATOS © courtesy of The Estate of Ginger Riley and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Feb. 26, 2023
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c1939-2002) Untitled 2000 Acrylic on canvas
Est: $6,000 - $10,000
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c1939-2002) Untitled 2000 Acrylic on canvas © courtesy of The Estate of Ginger Riley and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Artvisory
Jan. 19, 2023
GINGER RILEY, NGAK NGAK 1994, SCREENPRINT ED. P/P, 66 X 49CM, FRAME SIZE: 98 X 75CM PROVENANCE: THE NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK ART CO...
Est: $600 - $800
GINGER RILEY, NGAK NGAK 1994, SCREENPRINT ED. P/P, 66 X 49CM, FRAME SIZE: 98 X 75CM PROVENANCE: THE NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK ART COLLECTION
Leonard Joel
Dec. 01, 2022
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, C.1990
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 - 2002) LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, c.1990 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 172.5 x 188.0 cm bears inscription verso: artist's name and Alcaston Gallery cat. AK853 PROVENANCE Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above in March 1991 This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Alcaston Gallery. ESSAY ‘My mother’s country is in my mind.’1 Distinguished by their daring palette, dynamic energy and strongly flattened forms, Riley’s bold, brilliantly coloured depictions celebrating the landscape and mythology of his mother’s country are admired among the finest in contemporary Indigenous art. Emerging at a time when barks were the familiar output for his Arnhem Land country and Papunya Tula paintings were considered the norm, his striking interpretations not only challenged, but irrevocably changed, preconceived notions of Indigenous art – thus earning him the moniker ‘the boss of colour’ by artist David Larwill. Notably influential upon such idiom was Riley’s chance encounter during his adolescence with celebrated watercolourist Albert Namatjira, whose non-traditional aesthetic and concept of ‘colour country’ left an indelible impression upon the young artist. Encouraged by ‘…the idea that the colours of the land as seen in his imagination could be captured in art with munanga (white fella) paints’,2 it was not, however, until three decades later that Riley would have the opportunity to fully explore his talent when the Northern Territory Open College of TAFE established a printmaking workshop in the Ngukurr Aboriginal Community (formerly known as the Roper River Mission). Notwithstanding his mature age of 50, Riley rapidly developed his own highly sophisticated style and distinct iconography and, after initially exhibiting with the other Ngukurr-based painters, soon established an independent career at Alcaston Gallery. Enjoying tremendous success both locally and abroad over the following sixteen years before his untimely death in 2002, Riley received a plethora of awards including the inaugural National Heritage Commission Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1993 and an Australia Council Fellowship in 1997 – 98, and in 1997, was the first living indigenous artist to be honoured with a retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Capturing the saltwater area extending from the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria along the Limmen Bight River to the weather-worn rocky outcrops known as the ‘Four Arches’, Limmen Bight Country, c.1990 offers a stunning example of Riley’s heroic landscapes. Pivotal to the composition is Garimala, the mythological Taipan who, according to the ancestral dreaming, created the Four Arches – an area regarded as ‘…the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish’3 – and lives in the waterhole nearby. Here the mythological serpent is transformed into Bulukbun – the angry, fire-breathing ‘serpent-dragon’ – and envisaged in duplicate, rising above the Four Arches depicted in ochre with vegetation atop, while the cobalt blue sky beyond is framed by yellow chevrons, a motif derived from Riley’s Yidditja ritual body paint designs. A vibrant celebration of the joy of belonging to the saltwater country of the Mara people, indeed the work embodies Riley’s powerful vision of his mother’s country as a mythic space – a mindscape whose kaleidoscope of dazzling colours and icons continually evoke wonder and mystery in the viewer with each new encounter. 1. Riley cited in Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p. 15 2. Riley cited ibid. 3. Riley, ibid., p. 29 VERONICA ANGELATOS
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 22, 2022
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c. 1939-2002
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Ngak Ngak, 1991 synthetic polymer paint on plywood, inscribed verso 'Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, Ngak Ngak, 1991, Alcaston Gallery Cat. No. AK824'
Shapiro Auctioneers
Nov. 10, 2022
GINGER RILEY, ULARUMINDINI 1994, SCREENPRINT ED. P/P, 84 X 45CM, FRAME SIZE: 98 X 76CM PROVENANCE: THE NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK A...
Est: $500 - $700
GINGER RILEY, ULARUMINDINI 1994, SCREENPRINT ED. P/P, 84 X 45CM, FRAME SIZE: 98 X 76CM PROVENANCE: THE NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK ART COLLECTION
Leonard Joel
Sep. 12, 2022
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (CIRCA 1936-2002) and BESSIE MOORE Birds (Ngak Ngak), Waterholes, Trees at mouth of Limmen Bight River Circa 1988
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (CIRCA 1936-2002) and BESSIE MOORE Birds (Ngak Ngak), Waterholes, Trees at mouth of Limmen Bight River Circa 1988 acrylic on canvas 82 x 97cm PROVENANCE A gift from the Artist to Annette Robb in 1988-89, teacher at Ngukurr School in the 1980s, thence by descent NOTE This painting is a collaborative early work by Ginger Riley as mentor to his step-daughter Bessie Moore
Gibson's
May. 11, 2022
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (circa 1936-2002) Kurra Murra Travelling to Yumunkuni, 1991
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (circa 1936-2002) Kurra Murra Travelling to Yumunkuni, 1991 inscribed with Alcaston Gallery cat no. AK1028 verso synthetic polymer paint on canvas 117.0 x 123.0cm (46 1/16 x 48 7/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Apr. 10, 2022
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (CIRCA 1936-2002) and BESSIE MOORE Birds (Ngak Ngak), Waterholes, Trees at mouth of Limmen Bight River Circa 1988
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (CIRCA 1936-2002) and BESSIE MOORE Birds (Ngak Ngak), Waterholes, Trees at mouth of Limmen Bight River Circa 1988 acrylic on canvas 82 x 97cm PROVENANCE A gift from the Artist to Annette Robb in 1988-89, teacher at Ngukurr School in the 1980s, thence by descent NOTE This painting is a collaborative early work by Ginger Riley as mentor to his step-daughter Bessie Moore
Gibson's
Mar. 30, 2022
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, C.1990
Est: $60,000 - $80,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 - 2002) LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, c.1990 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 172.5 x 188.0 cm bears inscription verso: artist's name and Alcaston Gallery cat. AK853 PROVENANCE Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above in March 1991 This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Alcaston Gallery. ESSAY ‘My mother’s country is in my mind.’1 Distinguished by their daring palette, dynamic energy and strongly flattened forms, Riley’s bold, brilliantly coloured depictions celebrating the landscape and mythology of his mother’s country are admired among the finest in contemporary Indigenous art. Emerging at a time when barks were the familiar output for his Arnhem Land country and Papunya Tula paintings were considered the norm, his striking interpretations not only challenged, but irrevocably changed, preconceived notions of Indigenous art – thus earning him the moniker ‘the boss of colour’ by artist David Larwill. Notably influential upon such idiom was Riley’s chance encounter during his adolescence with celebrated watercolourist Albert Namatjira, whose non-traditional aesthetic and concept of ‘colour country’ left an indelible impression upon the young artist. Encouraged by ‘…the idea that the colours of the land as seen in his imagination could be captured in art with munanga (white fella) paints’,2 it was not, however, until three decades later that Riley would have the opportunity to fully explore his talent when the Northern Territory Open College of TAFE established a printmaking workshop in the Ngukurr Aboriginal Community (formerly known as the Roper River Mission). Notwithstanding his mature age of 50, Riley rapidly developed his own highly sophisticated style and distinct iconography and, after initially exhibiting with the other Ngukurr-based painters, soon established an independent career at Alcaston Gallery. Enjoying tremendous success both locally and abroad over the following sixteen years before his untimely death in 2002, Riley received a plethora of awards including the inaugural National Heritage Commission Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1993 and an Australia Council Fellowship in 1997 – 98, and in 1997, was the first living indigenous artist to be honoured with a retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Capturing the saltwater area extending from the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria along the Limmen Bight River to the weather-worn rocky outcrops known as the ‘Four Arches’, Limmen Bight Country, c.1990 offers a stunning example of Riley’s heroic landscapes. Pivotal to the composition is Garimala, the mythological Taipan who, according to the ancestral dreaming, created the Four Arches – an area regarded as ‘…the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish’3 – and lives in the waterhole nearby. Here the mythological serpent is transformed into Bulukbun – the angry, fire-breathing ‘serpent-dragon’ – and envisaged in duplicate, rising above the Four Arches depicted in ochre with vegetation atop, while the cobalt blue sky beyond is framed by yellow chevrons, a motif derived from Riley’s Yidditja ritual body paint designs. A vibrant celebration of the joy of belonging to the saltwater country of the Mara people, indeed the work embodies Riley’s powerful vision of his mother’s country as a mythic space – a mindscape whose kaleidoscope of dazzling colours and icons continually evoke wonder and mystery in the viewer with each new encounter. 1. Riley cited in Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p. 15 2. Riley cited ibid. 3. Riley, ibid., p. 29 VERONICA ANGELATOS © courtesy of The Estate of Ginger Riley and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 30, 2022
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, THE ARTIST’S COUNTRY: THE FOUR ARCHES, 1990
Est: $70,000 - $90,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 - 2002) THE ARTIST’S COUNTRY: THE FOUR ARCHES, 1990 synthetic polymer paint on linen 210.0 x 176.0 cm bears inscription verso: GR/28 PROVENANCE Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above in 1990 EXHIBITED Ngukurr, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, 17 July - 18 August 1990 Cross Roads - Towards a New Reality: Aboriginal Art from Australia, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, 22 September - 8 November 1992; The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 17 November - 20 December 1992, cat. 95 (label attached verso) LITERATURE Uchiyama, T. (ed.), Cross Roads - Towards a New Reality: Aboriginal Art from Australia, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, 1992, p. 127 (illus.) ESSAY Whilst still in his adolescence, Munduwalawala had a chance encounter with the famed watercolourist Albert Namatjira, whose style was to have an ongoing impact upon his art practice. The meeting with Namatjira was to resonate considerably, forging ‘Riley's idea that the colours of the land as seen in his imagination could be captured in art with munangu paints.’1 Soon after that initial meeting, Riley tried his hand at painting but the results were unsatisfactory to the artist. Nearly two decades after his first attempt, a second opportunity arose when the Northern Territory Open College of TAFE established a printmaking workshop in the Ngukurr Aboriginal Community, formerly known as the Roper River Mission. Here Munduwalawala was able to experiment once again with the munanga colours of red, blue and yellow, mixing them to create green, purple and pink. Ginger Riley Munduwalawala grew up on the coastal salt-water country of the Mara people in south-east Arnhem Land. He is the custodian of his mother's country, which extends from the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria along the Limmen Bight River to the weather worn rocky outcrops known as the Four Archers some fifty kilometres inland. This landscape and its associated mythology is the primary subject matter of his art as Munduwalawala explains, 'My mother’s country is in my mind.’2 Completed in 1990, Artist’s Country, The Four Arches‎, is centred on this expansive country, incorporating elements of the landscape together with images of the ancient mythological creation stories. Here he utilises strong flattened forms along with his characteristic bright, luminous and often contrasting colours – ‘lots of colour, I play it up, the colour- too much!’3 According to Munduwalawala's story, the snake Garimala, shown this painting as a pair of snakes at the top of the painting, created the Four Arches, an area regarded as '... the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish’.4 Riley noted that Garimala travelled from far away and lives in the waterhole or billabong that he created near the Four Arches. Perched between Garimala and shown again at the bottom right corner is Ngak Ngak, the majestic sea eagle who is the protector and guardian spirit of this country. From his earliest work, Riley was distinctive for his non-traditional aesthetic, employing brazen colour, subjects painted at dramatically different scales, unusual spatial arrangements, and crooked edged images. Riley's colour choices were daring, and his technique and aesthetic truly unique, thus challenging Western ideas and expectations of Aboriginal painting. His catalogue of work can be viewed as a sequence of variations upon the same events. However, the repetition of Riley's iconography is not a restriction, nor a lack of innovation. Rather, the endurance of his singular narrative allows for a greater depth of exploration, a greater revelation. 1. Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p. 29 2. Ibid., p. 15 3. Ginger Riley quoted in Perkins H., Art and Soul, The Miegunyah Press, Carlton, 2010 p. 244 4. Ryan, J., p. 49 CRISPIN GUTTERIDGE © courtesy of The Estate of Ginger Riley and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 08, 2022
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala - Fishing and Hunting in Limmen Bight, 1987
Est: $80,000 - $100,000
Due to copyright restrictions, we are unable to display images of the artwork online. To see images please contact us at auction@cooeeart.com.au 124 x 178 cm, 127 x 181.5 cm (framed) This seminal work was executed by Munduwalawala in the first year of his art production. It comprises two separate paintingsârespectively catalogued (verso) as GR4 (top half) and GR16 (bottom half), which would indicate they were the fourth and sixteenth paintings the artist completed. The upper and lower paintings depict separate stories in comic-strip format, with the narratives seeming to flow from line to line; although the directions and sequences are not clearly apparent. The two upper lines of the top picture, which is painted in solid primary colours on a negative ground, depict estuarine and sea creatures, both large and small, including: crocodile, turtle, dugong, sea snake, starfish, crab, shell-fish, saw fish, stingray, squid and a variety of pelagic fish. At right in the paintingâs bottom line, men fish from a boat. On the adjacent shore, a man with modern and customary weapons is accompanied by a woman and two dogs. They are separated by wallabies, an echidna and two dugong from their quarry who are entrapped in the fishersâ net. The lower picture is painted in more muted tones than the upper one. Comprising four lines of narrative, this picture depicts a wide variety of sea, river and land animals and their hunters. The uppermost line depicts what appears to be a meandering shoreline, with various hunting (and possibly ceremonial) implements sitting on each promontory, as if waiting for use. The second line introduces a hunter teaching his son âtricks of the tradeâ. The pair are surrounded by a plenitude of game, including wallaby, crab, turtle, squid, dugong and various fish. However, lurking menacingly is a crocodile to which they might become prey. The third line features fish, crab, a turtle caught in a fishing net, a charming vignette of a crocodile with a bird on its head and, slightly out of context, a cassowary. The bottom line of this picture features a row of hands within an abstract zig-zag pattern, most likely depicting rock art from a nearby sacred site. Interestingly, the painting has a number of red wine stains and a clear bottle mark in its bottom right quadrant. These attest to the paintingâs previous role as a tablecloth. At a later time, the painting was used as a curtain and the tiny clip marks are seen on its upper border. Maybe it is Indigenous Australiaâs version of the Shroud of Turin. This painting is closely associated in style and content with a slightly larger, later and more typical painting entitled Limmen Bight Country 1987.
Cooee Art
Aug. 31, 2021
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, MY MOTHER'S COUNTRY, 2000
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 - 2002) MY MOTHER'S COUNTRY, 2000 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 131.0 x 131.0 cm signed lower centre: Ginger Riley bears inscription verso: date and Alcaston gallery cat. AK5873 PROVENANCE Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Alcaston Gallery together with extensive notes on the artist This work is located at our Melbourne gallery © courtesy of The Estate of Ginger Riley and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Apr. 22, 2021
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (circa 1936-2002) Limmen Bight River, 1993
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (circa 1936-2002) Limmen Bight River, 1993 synthetic polymer paint on linen 143.5 x 148.5cm (56 1/2 x 58 7/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Apr. 22, 2021
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (circa 1936-2002) My Mothers Country, 1996
Est: $100,000 - $150,000
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (circa 1936-2002) My Mothers Country, 1996 signed lower left: 'Ginger Riley'; bears inscription verso: 'March 1996 / WARMUNGU / My mothers country / Design for tapestry' and Alcaston Gallery cat. AK3413 synthetic polymer paint on linen 195.0 x 395.0cm (76 3/4 x 155 1/2in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Mar. 17, 2021
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY – THE WET, 1992
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 – 2002) LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY – THE WET, 1992 synthetic polymer paint on linen 142.5 x 149.0 cm signed lower left: GINGER RILEY bears inscription verso: artist’s name, title and Alcaston Gallery cat. AK2435 / 2.12.92 PROVENANCE Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Chapman Gallery, Canberra Private collection, Canberra, acquired from the above in 1994 ESSAY ‘My mother’s country is in my mind.’1 Distinguished by their daring palette, dynamic energy and strongly flattened forms, Riley’s bold, brilliantly coloured depictions celebrating the landscape and mythology of his mother’s country are admired among the finest in contemporary Indigenous art. Emerging at a time when barks were the familiar output for his Arnhem Land country and Papunya Tula paintings were considered the norm, his striking interpretations not only challenged, but irrevocably changed, preconceived notions of Indigenous art – thus earning him the moniker ‘the boss of colour’ by artist David Larwill. Notably influential upon such idiom was Riley’s chance encounter during his adolescence with celebrated watercolourist Albert Namatjira, whose non-traditional aesthetic and concept of ‘colour country’ left an indelible impression upon the young artist. Encouraged by ‘…the idea that the colours of the land as seen in his imagination could be captured in art with munanga (white fella) paints’,2 it was not, however, until three decades later that Riley would have the opportunity to fully explore his talent when the Northern Territory Open College of TAFE established a printmaking workshop in the Ngukurr Aboriginal Community (formerly known as the Roper River Mission). Notwithstanding his mature age of 50, Riley rapidly developed his own highly sophisticated style and distinct iconography and, after initially exhibiting with the other Ngukurr-based painters, soon established an independent career at Alcaston Gallery. Enjoying tremendous success both locally and abroad over the following sixteen years before his untimely death in 2002, Riley received a plethora of awards including the inaugural National Heritage Commission Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1993 and an Australia Council Fellowship in 1997 – 98, and in 1997, was the first living indigenous artist to be honoured with a retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Capturing the saltwater area extending from the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria along the Limmen Bight River to the weather-worn rocky outcrops known as the ‘Four Arches’, Limmen Bight Country – The Wet, 1992 offers a stunning example of Riley’s heroic landscapes. Pivotal to the composition is Garimala, the mythological Taipan who, according to the ancestral dreaming, created the Four Arches – an area regarded as ‘…the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish’3 – and lives in the waterhole nearby. Here the mythological serpent is depicted as a pair of snakes (a typical convention to denote him travelling), while the Four Arches are envisaged in multiple, emphasising their significance and reflecting different viewpoints. A dominant motif of Riley’s oeuvre, such aerial overview is informed by the artist’s strong sense of place; as he observes, he often paints ‘…on a cloud, on top of the world looking down… In my mind, I have to go up to the top and look down to see where I’ve come from, not very easy for somebody else, but all right for me. I just think in my mind and paint from top to bottom, I like that’.4 Similarly presiding over the landscape, in the foreground here the totemic white-breasted sea eagle, Ngak Ngak, fulfils the role of a sentinel or guardian protecting the country, while in the distance, heavy, rain-filled clouds not only herald the fertile abundance of the wet season, but poignantly symbolise the artist’s mother and continuing cycle of life. A vibrant celebration of the joy of belonging to the saltwater country of the Mara people, indeed the work embodies Riley’s powerful vision of his mother’s country as a mythic space – a mindscape whose kaleidoscope of dazzling colours and icons continually evoke wonder and mystery in the viewer with each new encounter. 1. Riley cited in Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p. 15 2. Riley cited ibid. 3. Riley, ibid., p. 29 4. Riley, ibid., p. 27 VERONICA ANGELATOS © courtesy of The Estate of Ginger Riley and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 18, 2020
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (1936-2002) Djartbaramba 1994 screenprint 18/60
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (1936-2002) Djartbaramba 1994 screenprint 18/60 editioned, titled, signed and dated below image 76 x 57cm (sheet size), frame size: 76 x 57cm
Leonard Joel
Nov. 18, 2020
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (1936-2002) Ngak Ngak 1994 screenprint 18/60
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (1936-2002) Ngak Ngak 1994 screenprint 18/60 editioned, titled, signed and dated below image 76 x 57cm (sheet size), frame size: 76 x 57cm
Leonard Joel
Nov. 18, 2020
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (1936-2002) Ularumindini 1994 screenprint 18/30
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (1936-2002) Ularumindini 1994 screenprint 18/30 editioned, titled, signed and dated below image 76 x 57cm (sheet size), frame size: 76 x 57cm
Leonard Joel
Jun. 02, 2020
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (1936-2002) Untitled 1994 synthetic polymer paint on cotton duck
Est: $22,000 - $30,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (1936-2002) Untitled 1994 synthetic polymer paint on cotton duck signed lower centre: GINGER RILEY inscribed verso with artist's name, date and Alcaston Gallery cat. no. AK2431 1994 G.R.M. 143 x 201cm PROVENANCE: Beverly Knight of Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne 1996 (accompanied by a certificate of authenticity) Private collection, San Francisco, USA OTHER NOTES: © The Estate of Ginger Riley & Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
Mar. 18, 2020
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, (c.1936 – 2002), UNTITLED, 1990, synthetic polymer paint on composition board
Est: $7,000 - $9,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 – 2002) UNTITLED, 1990 synthetic polymer paint on composition board SIGNED: bears inscription verso: Alcaston Gallery cat. AK817 DIMENSIONS: 24.0 x 58.0 cm PROVENANCE: Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne Deutscher and Hackett, Melbourne, 24 March 2010, lot 35 Private collection, Malaysia This painting is accompanied by documentation from Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne.
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 18, 2020
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, (c.1936 – 2002), LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY SUITE, 1995, synthetic polymer paint on paper
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 – 2002) LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY SUITE, 1995 synthetic polymer paint on paper SIGNED: each bears inscription verso: artist’s name and Alcaston Gallery cats. AK3094 – AK3100 DIMENSIONS: 55.0 x 54.0 cm each image 57.0 x 57.0 cm each sheet PROVENANCE: Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Tasmania, acquired from the above in 1996 EXHIBITED: Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 17 July – 22 September 1997 LITERATURE: Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p. 97 (illus. ‘Garimala in Limmen Bight country, 1995’ and ‘Ngak Ngak in Limmen Bight country, 1995’) This work is accompanied by certificates of authenticity from Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne. ESSAY: Featured in the groundbreaking retrospective of Riley’s art organised by the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne in 1997, the present suite of seven paintings encapsulates a sequence of events inspired by his mother country – the coastal saltwater area in south-east Arnhem Land which extends from the Gulf of Carpentaria along the Limmen Bight River to the Four Arches, approximately 50 kilometres inland. Pulsating with energy and enlivened by his daring use of vibrant colour, dominant motifs from Riley’s repertoire typically punctuate the works, including the mythological serpent Garimala (here depicted as two snakes to denote him travelling); the totemic white-breasted sea eagle, Ngak Ngak, who fulfils the role of a sentinel or guardian protecting the country; the heavy, rain-filled clouds which herald the fertile abundance of the wet season, while also symbolising the artist’s mother; and the V-shaped chevrons, used variously as a framing device, that directly relate to Riley’s Yidditja ritual body paint in ceremony. Indeed, according to the ancestral dreaming, Garimala journeyed from afar down the Limmen Bight River to create the geographical formation known as the Four Arches - an area to which Riley refers as ‘the centre of the earth, where all things start and finsh’1 and where the serpent lives nearby. The story continues that Garimala ‘travelled from the Four Arches to Nyamiyukanji in the Limmen Bight River, disappeared under the water and metamorphosed into the Rainbow Serpent’2, associated with the life-giving properties of fresh water, the monsoon season and the continuing cycle of life; while in another manifestation, this snake hero named Bulukbun becomes an aggressive, fire-breathing serpentdragon who rises out of the sea and kills people. Although much of Riley’s oeuvre is distinguished by the endurance of this singular narrative, his iconography is not restrictive, nor does it betray a lack of innovation. To the contrary, the repetition of his mother’s stories allows for greater depth of exploration and revelation; as Riley himself reflects, such paintings are ‘…the same, but different’3.Same referring to the consistently employed subject matter, story and country, but different in each work’s unique conception, paint and design. 1. Riley cited in Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p.15 2. Riley, ibid., p.30 3. Riley, ibid., p.10 VERONICA ANGELATOS
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 18, 2020
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, (c.1936 – 2002), LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, 1992, synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 – 2002) LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, 1992 synthetic polymer paint on linen SIGNED: signed lower centre: GinGER RiLEY bears inscription verso: artist’s name, title and Alcaston Gallery cat. AK1956 DIMENSIONS: 153.0 x 143.5 cm PROVENANCE: Anthony W. Knight, Melbourne Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne EXHIBITED: Colour Country: Art from Roper River, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, New South Wales, 5 June – 2 August 2009; Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide, 4 December 2009 – 14 February 2010; Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra, 25 February – 11 April 2010; Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, 22 May 2010 – 12 July 2010 LITERATURE: Bowdler, B., Colour Country: Art from Roper River, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, New South Wales, 2009, pp. 8 (illus.), 91 ESSAY: ‘My mother’s country is in my mind.’1 Distinguished by their daring palette, dynamic energy and strongly flattened forms, Riley’s bold, brilliantly coloured depictions celebrating the landscape and mythology of his mother’s country are admired among the finest in contemporary Indigenous art. Emerging at a time when barks were the familiar output for his Arnhem Land country and Papunya Tula paintings were considered the norm, his striking interpretations not only challenged, but irrevocably changed, preconceived notions of Indigenous art – thus earning him the moniker ‘the boss of colour’ by artist David Larwill. Notably influential upon such idiom was Riley’s chance encounter during his adolescence with celebrated watercolourist Albert Namatjira, whose non-traditional aesthetic and concept of ‘colour country’ left an indelible impression upon the young artist. Encouraged by ‘…the idea that the colours of the land as seen in his imagination could be captured in art with munanga (white fella) paints’,2 it was not, however, until three decades later that Riley would have the opportunity to fully explore his talent when the Northern Territory Open College of TAFE established a printmaking workshop in the Ngukurr Aboriginal Community (formerly known as the Roper River Mission). Notwithstanding his mature age of 50, Riley rapidly developed his own highly sophisticated style and distinct iconography and, after initially exhibiting with the other Ngukurr-based painters, soon established an independent career at Alcaston Gallery. Enjoying tremendous success both locally and abroad over the following sixteen years before his untimely death in 2002, Riley received a plethora of awards including the inaugural National Heritage Commission Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1993 and an Australia Council Fellowship in 1997 – 98, and in 1997, was the first living indigenous artist to be honoured with a retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Capturing the saltwater area extending from the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria along the Limmen Bight River to the weather-worn rocky outcrops known as the ‘Four Arches’, Limmen Bight River, 1992 offers a stunning example of Riley’s heroic landscapes. Pivotal to the composition is Garimala, the mythological Taipan who, according to the ancestral dreaming, created the Four Arches – an area regarded as ‘…the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish’3 – and lives in the waterhole nearby. Here the mythological serpent is depicted as a pair of snakes (a typical convention to denote his travelling), while the Four Arches are envisaged in multiple, emphasising their significance and reflecting different viewpoints – in the foreground riverside, as dark rounded rocks, and in the middle ground as pink towers, with vegetation atop. Significantly, such aerial overview is informed by the artist’s strong sense of place; as Riley observes, he often paints ‘…on a clo
Deutscher and Hackett
Dec. 03, 2019
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c.1936-2002) Djartabaramba
Est: $1,200 - $1,500
This work was inspired by Ginger Riley's mother’s country, the area surrounding four pyramidal hills, the Four Arches, some 45 kilometres inland from the Gulf of Carpentaria on the Limmen Bight River. Ginger’s iconography was informed by the sequence of events that took place there. According to legend, the Four Arches were created by a lethal taipan, the Garimala, who traveled from far away and returned to live in a waterhole he created nearby. From here he journeyed to the Limmen Bight River, turning into the Rainbow and thus it is believed he is present during the oncoming of the wet season. Apart from this central narrative, a recurring image in Riley’s work was the striking Ngak Ngak, a white-breasted sea eagle said to be the guardian of this country.
Cooee Art
Dec. 03, 2019
Ginger Munduwalawala Riley (c.1936-2002) Angry Bulukbun
Est: $3,500 - $4,500
Ginger Riley was born c.1937 near Maria Lagoon by the Limmen Bight River in Southern Arnhem Land. Riley’s paintings drew their inspiration from his mother’s country, the area surrounding four pyramidal hills, the Four Arches, some 45 kilometres inland from the Gulf of Carpentaria on the Limmen Bight River. Ginger’s iconography was informed by the sequence of events that took place there. This work depicts the island of Yumunkuni (Beatrice Island) which was created by Ngak Ngak the Sea Eagle, the artist's totem. Garimala the ancestral serpent, Bulukbun the fire-breathing snake, and Ngak Ngak witnessed the creation of the Four Arches. Their depiction in the scenes such as this work acts as a metaphor for the artist witnessing the creative acts of his ancestors. In this painting Bulukbun comes out of the sea to devour those who had offended him by performing a ritual incorrectly during the re-enactment of this part of the ceremony. The surrounding V shaped decoration is derived from body paint designs. The V shape is painted on each shoulder pointing to the nipple.
Cooee Art
Oct. 10, 2019
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (1937-2002)
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Garimala in Limmen Bight Country, 2000 signed 'GINGER RILEY' (lower center); inscribed, numbered and dated '4/11 JAN 2000 PROPERTY OF BEVERLY KNIGHT FOR GINGER RILEY' (on the reverse)acrylic on canvas26 x 26 3/8 in.66 x 67 cm.
Bonhams
May. 21, 2019
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, STORMS AT SEA – SUNRISE IN SALT WATER COUNTRY, 1997
Est: $55,000 - $65,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936 – 2002) STORMS AT SEA – SUNRISE IN SALT WATER COUNTRY, 1997 synthetic polymer paint on cotton duck SIGNED: signed lower centre: GiNGER RiLEY bears inscription verso: date (1997), Alcaston Gallery cat. AK3680, cat. AK3 and cat. 9 DIMENSIONS: 194.0 x 210.0 cm PROVENANCE: Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Mr John McEnroe, USA Private collection, Paris RELATED WORK: Nyamiyukanji, the river country, 1997, in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, illus. in Tunicliffe, W., Tradition today: Indigenous art in Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2004, p. 91 ESSAY: Ginger Riley Munduwalawala grew up on the coastal salt-water country of the Mara people in south east Arnhem Land. He is the custodian of his mother's country, which extends from the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria along the Limmen Bight River to the weather worn rocky outcrops known as the Four Archers some fifty kilometres inland. This landscape and its associated mythology is the primary subject matter of his art as Munduwalawala explains, 'My mother’s country is in my mind'.1 In this painting, Storms At Sea – Sunrise in Salt Water Country, 1997, a large and major canvas by the artist, he utilises his characteristic bright, luminous and often contrasting colours – ‘lots of colour, I play it up, the colour- too much!’2 – along with strong flattened forms, documenting this expansive country, incorporating elements of the landscape with images of mythological creation stories. Whilst still in his adolescence, Munduwalawala met the watercolourist Albert Namatjira, whose style was to have an ongoing impact upon his practice. This meeting resonated considerably, forging 'Riley's idea that the colours of the land as seen in his imagination could be captured in art with munanga (white fella) paints'.3 Nearly two decades later, an opportunity arose when the Northern Territory Open College of TAFE established a printmaking workshop in the Ngukurr Aboriginal Community, formerly known as the Roper River Mission. Here Munduwalawala was to experiment with the munanga colours of blue, red and yellow, mixing them to create greens, purple and pink. From his earliest work Riley was distinctive for his non-traditional aesthetic, employing brazen colour, subjects painted at dramatically different scales, unusual spatial arrangements, and crooked edged images. Riley's colour choices were daring and his technique and aesthetic were truly unique, which challenged Western ideas and expectations of Aboriginal painting. His catalogue of work can be viewed as a sequence of variations upon the same events. But the repetition of Riley's iconography is not a restriction, nor a lack of innovation. Rather, the endurance of his singular narrative allows for a greater depth of exploration, a greater revelation. According to Munduwalawala's story, the snake Garimala, shown in the lower right of this painting as a pair of snakes, created the Four Archers, an area regarded as '... the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish’.4 Riley noted that Garimala travelled from far away and lives in the waterhole or billabong that he created near the Four Archers. Perched above to the left across the opposite side of the river and shown again swooping down from the top right corner is Ngak Ngak, the majestic white-breasted sea eagle who is the protector and guardian spirit of this country. This story is told during the rainy days of the Wet Season with the dawn sun just breaking above the horizon line of the ocean surface, spreading soft morning light across the sky. Ginger Riley was a tremendously successful artist who received a plethora of awards throughout his lifetime, including the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1987, the John McCaughey Memorial Art Prize in 1993, the first National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Commission Award in 1993, and an Australia Council Fellowship for 1997 – 98. He was also the first Aboriginal artist to be offered a major retrospective of his work at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1997. 1. Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p. 15 2. Ginger Riley quoted in Perkins H., Art and Soul, The Miegunyah Press, Carlton, 2010 p. 244 3. Ryan, J., op. cit., p. 15 4. ibid., p. 29 CRISPIN GUTTERIDGE
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 19, 2019
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936-2002) Ngak Ngak and the Four Arches 1989 synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Est: $7,000 - $9,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c.1936-2002) Ngak Ngak and the Four Arches 1989 synthetic polymer paint on canvas inscribed verso with Alcaston Gallery cat. no AK59 76 x 91cm PROVENANCE: Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Queensland EXHIBITIONS: Mother Country In Mind: The Art of Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 16 July - 22 September 1997 (label verso) LITERATURE: Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, Melbourne: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne 1997, p.63, pl.21 (illus.)
Leonard Joel
Nov. 28, 2018
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, (c.1936 – 2002), GARIMALA, 1989, synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, (c.1936 – 2002), GARIMALA, 1989, synthetic polymer paint on canvas SIGNED: bears inscription verso: Alcaston Gallery cat. GR41 and AK44 DIMENSIONS: 154.0 x 174.0 cm PROVENANCE: Painted at Ngukurr, Northern Territory Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne Sotheby's, Melbourne, 31 July 2006, lot 96 Private collection, Singapore Joel Fine Art, Melbourne, 3 June 2008, lot 80 Private collection, New South Wales EXHIBITED: Mother Country In Mind: The Art of Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 16 July – 22 September 1997, cat. 11 (label attached verso) LITERATURE: Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p. 52 (illus., detail) RELATED WORK: Garimala (The two snakes), 1988, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 178.0 x 177.5 cm, in the collection of the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane Garimala, 1990, synthetic polymer paint on paper, 56.8 x 75.5 cm, in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, illus. in Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, cat. 33, p. 74 ESSAY: Ginger Riley’s painting recalls his mother’s country; the landscape and mythology relating to the coastal salt-water area adjacent to the Limmen Bight River some fifty kilometres inland from the south-western corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria. His paintings, characterised by a bold use of colour and the recurrence of certain motifs, can be viewed as a sequence of variations upon the same theme. The most often recurring characters are Garimala, the giant Taipan, and Ngak Ngak, the white-breasted Sea Eagle. Central to this composition, Garimala, the mythological Taipan, is seen emerging from a lagoon in the form of a rainbow, hovering above the country. According to Munduwalawala's story, Garimala created the Four Archers, an area regarded as ‘... the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish’1 and where the snake lives in the waterhole close by. The story continues that Garimala ‘travelled from the Four Archers to Nyamiyukanji in the Limmen Bight River, disappeared under the water and metamorphosed into the Rainbow’.2 As the rainbow, Garimala is associated with the life-giving properties of fresh water, the monsoon season and the continuing cycle of life. Although distinguished by the endurance of a singular narrative, Riley's iconography is not restrictive, nor is there a lack of innovation. Rather, the repetition of his mother’s stories allows for a greater depth of exploration and reinvention. Riley employed bold colour, dramatic variations in scale and unusual spatial arrangements for visual impact. His colour choices were particularly daring and unexpected, intense colour contrasts and silhouetting enabled images to stand out as well as being used to animate and give energy to the story. His technique and aesthetic were truly unique and changed expectations of what characterised Aboriginal painting. 1. Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p. 29 2. ibid., p. 30 CRISPIN GUTTERIDGE
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 29, 2017
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, (c.1936 – 2002), NGAK NGAK, GARIMALA AND THE FOUR ARCHES, 1990, synthetic polymer paint on plywood
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, (c.1936 – 2002), NGAK NGAK, GARIMALA AND THE FOUR ARCHES, 1990, synthetic polymer paint on plywood SIGNED: bears inscription verso: Alcaston Gallery cat. AK286 DIMENSIONS: 46.0 x 59.0 cm PROVENANCE: Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private Collection, Melbourne Deutscher and Hackett, Melbourne, 11 October 2011, cat. 11 Private collection, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 29, 2017
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, (c.1936 – 2002), STORMS AT SEA – SUNRISE IN SALT WATER COUNTRY, 1997, synthetic polymer paint on cotton duck
Est: $60,000 - $80,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, (c.1936 – 2002), STORMS AT SEA – SUNRISE IN SALT WATER COUNTRY, 1997, synthetic polymer paint on cotton duck SIGNED: signed lower centre: GiNGER RiLEY bears inscription verso: date, Alcaston Gallery cat. AK3680, cat. AK3 and cat. 9 DIMENSIONS: 194.0 x 210.0 cm PROVENANCE: Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Mr John McEnroe, USA Private collection, Paris, acquired from the above LITERATURE: Nyamiyukanji, the river country, 1997, in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, illus. in Tunicliff, W., Tradition today: Indigenous art in Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2004, p. 91 ESSAY: Ginger Riley Munduwalawala grew up on the coastal salt-water country of the Mara people in south east Arnhem Land. He is the custodian of his mother's country, which extends from the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria along the Limmen Bight River to the weather worn rocky outcrops known as the Four Archers some fifty kilometres inland. This landscape and its associated mythology is the primary subject matter of his art as Munduwalawala explains, 'My mother’s country is in my mind'.1 In this painting, Storms At Sea – Sunrise in Salt Water Country, 1997, a large and major canvas by the artist, he utilises his characteristic bright, luminous and often contrasting colours – ‘lots of colour, I play it up, the colour- too much!’2 – along with strong flattened forms, documenting this expansive country, incorporating elements of the landscape with images of mythological creation stories. Whilst still in his adolescence, Munduwalawala met the watercolourist Albert Namatjira, whose style was to have an ongoing impact upon his practice. This meeting was to resonate considerably, forging 'Riley's idea that the colours of the land as seen in his imagination could be captured in art with munanga (white fella) paints'.3 Nearly two decades later, an opportunity arose when the Northern Territory Open College of TAFE established a printmaking workshop in the Ngukurr Aboriginal Community, formerly known as the Roper River Mission. Here Munduwalawala was to experiment with the munanga colours of blue, red and yellow, mixing them to create greens, purple and pink. From his earliest work Riley was distinctive for his non-traditional aesthetic, employing brazen colour, subjects painted at dramatically different scales, unusual spatial arrangements, and crooked edged images. Riley's colour choices were daring and his technique and aesthetic were truly unique, which challenged Western ideas and expectations of Aboriginal painting. His catalogue of work can be viewed as a sequence of variations upon the same events. But the repetition of Riley's iconography is not a restriction, nor a lack of innovation. Rather, the endurance of his singular narrative allows for a greater depth of exploration, a greater revelation. According to Munduwalawala's story, the snake Garimala, shown in the lower right of this painting as a pair of snakes, created the Four Archers, an area regarded as '... the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish’.4 Riley noted that Garimala travelled from far away and lives in the waterhole or billabong that he created near the Four Archers. Perched above to the left across the opposite side of the river and shown again swooping down from the top right corner is Ngak Ngak, the majestic white-breasted sea eagle who is the protector and guardian spirit of this country. This story is told during the rainy days of the Wet Season with the dawn sun just breaking above the horizon line of the ocean surface, spreading soft morning light across the sky. Ginger Riley was a tremendously successful artist who received a plethora of awards throughout his lifetime, including the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isla
Deutscher and Hackett
Sep. 03, 2017
MUNDUWALAWALA, Ginger Riley (c.1936-2002) - 'Ngak, Ngak'
Est: $350 - $550
MUNDUWALAWALA, Ginger Riley (c.1936-2002) 'Ngak, Ngak' S/Print 28/99 43x58cm
Davidson Auctions
May. 11, 2017
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c1936-2002), Marra language group The Four Archers
Est: $45,000 - $60,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c1936-2002), Marra language group The Four Archers synthetic polymer paint on linen 133.5 x 172.0 cm Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, 1990 Private collection, Melbourne Estate of the above, Melbourne Ngukurr, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, 14 February - 4 March 1989
Menzies
Apr. 30, 2017
MUNDUWALA, Ginger Riley (c.1936-2002)
Est: $4,000 - $5,000
'Ngak Ngak & the Ruined City,' 1998. From the exhibition 'Ngak Ngak & Limmen Bight Country,' Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, 1998, cat #AK4018.
Davidson Auctions
Feb. 28, 2017
Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c. 1936-2002) - Limmen Bight Country, 1991
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
synthetic polymer paint on canvas, inscribed verso artist's name, date and Alcaston Gallery cat. AK1220,
Shapiro Auctioneers
Dec. 02, 2015
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, c.1936 – 2002, LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, 1991, synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Est: $12,000 - $15,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, c.1936 – 2002, LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, 1991, synthetic polymer paint on canvas SIGNED: inscribed verso: artist’s name, date and Alcaston Gallery cat. AK1220 DIMENSIONS: 84.0 x 112.0 cm PROVENANCE: Hogarth Gallery, Sydney in association with Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Sydney New South Wales ESSAY: Ginger Riley described his own work as ‘the same, but different.’1 The ‘same’, refers to the constantly explored subject matter and narrative, but each work is varied in presentation, paint and design. The artist’s style is known to be figurative, colourful and mythical, with reoccurring iconographical elements. Riley grew up in the coastal salt-water country of the Mara people in south-eastern Arnhem Land, located in the Northern Territory. His mother’s country served as the basis and inspiration for his work. In Limmen Bight Country, 1991 we see the landscape of south-east Arnhem Land with the Limmen Bight River dividing in two, as it flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria. The sea and the sky merge into one and wet season clouds hover at the top of the work. The picture on offer was painted not long after Riley had the opportunity to fly over his country in a light aircraft during a big wet. The lush blue, green and red colours of the work are identical to the landscape after the wet. The two islands of the coast are Beatrice and Maria Islands. A characteristic element in much of Ginger Riley’s painting are the Four Archers: an area Riley referred to as ‘the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish…’2 According to the ancestors’ creation story the Four Archers were created by the snake Garimala. This snake transforms into different images, one of them is the Bulukbun: the angry fire breathing ‘serpent-dragon’. The landscape is framed by red chevrons, a motif that is derived from Riley’s Yidditja ritual body painting designs. 1. Ryan, J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1997, p. 10 2. Ibid., p. 32 SIMONE LANGEJAN
Deutscher and Hackett
Aug. 26, 2015
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, (c.1936 - 2002), LIMMEN BIGHT - MY MOTHER'S COUNTRY, 1993, synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, (c.1936 - 2002), LIMMEN BIGHT - MY MOTHER'S COUNTRY, 1993, synthetic polymer paint on linen SIGNED: bears inscription verso: artist’s name, date, Alcaston House Gallery cat. AK2063 DIMENSIONS: 149.0 x 144.0 cm PROVENANCE: Painted at Araluen, Alice Springs, in 1993 during an artist-in-residence program Alcaston House Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Sydney
Deutscher and Hackett
May. 14, 2015
GINGER RILEY (c.1936-2002) Untitled (Bird) digital print 11/99
Est: $600 - $800
GINGER RILEY (c.1936-2002) Untitled (Bird) digital print 11/99 PROVENANCE: Acquired from the estate of Ginger Riley 63 x 67cm
Leonard Joel
Dec. 11, 2014
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c1936-2002) Ngak Ngak and the Ruined City 1998
Est: $8,000 - $10,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA (c1936-2002) Ngak Ngak and the Ruined City 1998 synthetic polymer paint on paper 75.5 x 56.5 cm (sheet size) signed lower left: GINGER . RILEY
Menzies
Nov. 26, 2014
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, c1936 - 2002, GARIMALA AND THE FOUR ARCHERS, 1989, synthetic polymer paint on plywood
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, c1936 - 2002, GARIMALA AND THE FOUR ARCHERS, 1989, synthetic polymer paint on plywood SIGNED: inscribed verso: artist's name, title, date, size, medium, Alcaston Gallery cat. AK287 and William Mora Galleries cat. 22 DIMENSIONS: 39.5 x 64.5 cm (irregular) PROVENANCE: Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne William Mora Galleries, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 26, 2014
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, c1936 - 2002, LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, c1990, synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA, c1936 - 2002, LIMMEN BIGHT COUNTRY, c1990, synthetic polymer paint on canvas SIGNED: inscribed verso: Alcaston Gallery cat. AK 470 DIMENSIONS: 113.5 x 204.0 cm PROVENANCE: Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above in May 1990 Munduwalawala's images generally interpret in paint a sequence of events, which are focused on his mother's country around the Limmen Bight and the Limmen Bight River in the Northern Territory. This country is the area around the Four Archers, a geographical formation about 45 kilometres inland on the Limmen Bight River and also includes Maria and Beatrice Islands at the mouth of the river. The artist's mother is the cloud and the sun, and his paintings often depict heavy rain-filled clouds or fine rain and bright sunlight, his creation story. Munduwalawala explained that in the guise of Garimala the creator snakes travelled from Arnhem Land and that they live in a waterhole which they created near the Four Archers. He also recounted that they travelled from the Four Archers to Ngamiyukandji, a rock in the Limmen Bight River near its confluence with the Cox River. They disappeared under the water and became the Rainbow Serpent Bulukbun. In another manifestation this snake hero called Bulukbun, becomes a fire-breathing serpent-dragon and rises out of the sea and kills people. He is often depicted surfacing among a group of small pyramid-shaped islands. These islands or stones are shown located in the sea around his Mother's Island. During initiation ceremonies on this island, the initiates displeased Bulukbun causing him to become very angry. Munduwalawala claimed that the more aggressive Bulukbun or Wawalu becomes, the more he raises the spines on his back, and on some occasions many of the boys were burnt. The most distinctive image in Munduwalawala's work is the totemic white-breasted sea eagle, Ngak Ngak, often shown singly or as a repeated image. Ngak Ngak fulfils the role of a guardian - looking after the country; Munduwalawala explained that there is an island near the mouth of the Limmen Bight River, which was formed when Ngak Ngak flew over it. This is Yumunkuni, or Beatrice Island. This is his mother's country. The presence of Ngak Ngak is always explained: 'this Ngak Ngak looking at this man' or 'this message stick'. Ngak Ngak is frequently shown looking at his own image; Ngak Ngak is generally shown as white. BEVERLEY KNIGHT Under the provisions of the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986, buyers may be required to obtain an export permit for certain categories of items in this sale from the Cultural Property, Collections and Cultural Heritage Branch, Ministry for the Arts, Attorney-General's Department, email: movable.heritage@arts.gov.au
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 26, 2014
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA c1936 - 2002, GARIMALA, 1992, synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Est: $35,000 - $45,000
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA c1936 - 2002, GARIMALA, 1992, synthetic polymer paint on canvas DIMENSIONS: 135.0 x 201.0 cm PROVENANCE: Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne (cat. AK1439) Private collection, Melbourne ESSAYS: Ginger Riley Munduwalawala grew up in the coastal saltwater homeland of the Mara people. He came from Ngukurr, formerly known as the Roper River Mission, in Ngalakan country. Riley's iconography perpetually returns to the narrative of his mother's country, and the spirits that inhabit it. This landscape includes the riverine lands adjacent to the Limmen Bight River. Certain motifs seem to recur uniformly in Riley's paintings. Central to his compositions are the Four Archers. Large pyramid-like formations which emerge dramatically from an otherwise flat surrounding plain, the Four Archers are geographical structures approximately 55 kilometres inland from the Gulf of Carpentaria. Riley describes them as 'the centre of the earth, where all things start and finish'. According to ancestral dreaming, the rocks were created by Garimala, a large taipan snake, sometimes understood to be two creatures rather than one. Garimala is seen here as two red snakes rising up to meet each other, hovering above the Four Archers. Another recurring spirit seen in our painting is Ngak Ngak, a majestic sea eagle, standing powerfully in the centre of the composition, asserting his dominance. Riley consistently paints this striking white-breasted eagle in profile and facing to the left. 'He plays the role of a sentinel or guardian, protecting the country ... For Riley, depicting Ngak Ngak is an act of homage, a means of honouring this protective spirit.' The artist's back-catalogue of work can be viewed as a sequence of variations upon the same events. But the repetition of Riley's iconography is not a restriction, nor a lack of innovation. Rather, the endurance of his singular narrative allows for a greater depth of exploration, a greater revelation. From his earliest work Riley was distinctive for his non-traditional aesthetic. He employed brazen colour, subjects painted at dramatically different scales, unusual spatial arrangements, and crooked edged images. Riley's colour choices were daring and unexpected - the sky could appear yellow or blood red, or the earth an enchanting pink. His technique and aesthetic were truly unique, and challenged Western ideas and expectations of Aboriginal painting. Ginger Riley was a tremendously successful artist who received a plethora of awards throughout his lifetime, including the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1987, the John McCaughey Memorial Art Prize in 1993, the first National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Commission Award in 1993, and an Australia Council Fellowship for 1997/98. He was also the first Aboriginal artist to be offered a major retrospective of his work at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1997. LEAH CROSSMAN
Deutscher and Hackett