Alec Mingelmanganu

Lot 9: ALEC MINGELMANGANU (CIRCA 1905 -1981) - Wandjina, 1979

Name: ALEC MINGELMANGANU (CIRCA 1905 -1981) - Wandjina, 1979
Brand: Lawsons
SKU: sxbeb79yi8

Est: $40,000 AUD - $50,000 AUDSold:

LawsonsAnnandale, AustraliaNovember 22, 2006

Item Overview

Description

ALEC MINGELMANGANU (CIRCA 1905 -1981)
Wandjina, 1979
natural earth pigments on bark
114 x 74 cm

Provenance: Collected by a doctor working on Aboriginal communities in the Kimberleys for the last 35 years Private Collection, WA The Wandjina are amongst the oldest primary creator spirits in Australian Aboriginal mythology. They are depicted on rock art sites throughout the Kimberley region of North West Australia and are associated with the monsoon rains, with renewal, fertility and increase. During the last years of his life, Wunambal elder, Alec Mingelmanganu, created a number of Wandjina paintings in statuesque, almost human proportions, much as they appear on the cave walls. The majority of these larger depictions were created on canvas, as Eucalyptus bark in this region is most often limited in size. This rare example of a large bark is an extremely powerful depiction of the Wandjina spirit, exhibiting all the finest aspects of the artists' work. The body and background are splattered in white ochre spat from the mouth, creating a stippled field and mottled texture on the imposing face and mighty shoulders. Red dashes cover the figure creating a glinting alluring surface on a body that is radiant with ancestral power. The bark is beautifully conceived and constructed, and finished in the traditional method of a cane frame tied with hand made bush string.

Artist or Maker

Alec Mingelmanganu

Auction Details

Fine Aboriginal Art

Lawsons

November 22, 2006, 06:30 PM EST

1A The Crescent, Annandale, NSW, 2038, AU

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