Lot 32: JIMMY MIDJAWMIDJAW CIRCA 1897-1985

TWO MIMIH FIGURES C.1958

MEASUREMENTS

52.5 by 17 cm

Bears old title 'brothers', incorrect date together with Palm Springs Museum catalogue number 22-78.37A and the number 34 on the reverse
Natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark

PROVENANCE
Acquired by Mr Russell Loell on a visit to Australia Collection of Mr Geoffrey and Mr Richard Hovitz, USA Palm Springs Art Museum, California, USA 1978-2005 recently de-accessioned at auction in California Private collection, Melbourne
EXHIBITED
Princeton University Art Museum, New Jersey, Sept 19 -29, 1977 Cf. For a similarly drawn figure by the artist see 'Sorcery Figure', 1975, in Ryan, J., Spirit in Land: Bark Paintings from Arnhem Land in the National Gallery of Victoria, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1990, p. 88, plate 47, illus.; and for more examples of the artist's work from the late 1950s and early 1960s, see Caruana, W., (ed), Windows on the Dreaming: Aboriginal Paintings in the Australian National Gallery, Australian National Gallery, Canberra and Ellsyd Press, Sydney, 1989, pp.30-33; and Kupka, K., Dawn of Art: Painting and Sculpture of Australian Aborigines, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1962 Jimmy Midjawmidjaw was among of the group of artists who were living on Minjilang (Croker Island) in western Arnhem Land from the 1940s. The group included Samuel Wagbara, Yirawala, Paddy Compass Namatbara and January Nangunyari Namiridali. Midjawmidjaw was a research partner of the anthropologists Ronald and Catherine Berndt for whom he produced paintings as well as moulded clay figures. He exhibited his work for the first time in 1957, in the exhibition Australian Aboriginal Art, Arnhem Land Paintings on Bark and Carved Human Figures, at the Western Australian Museum, Perth, curated by the Berndts. Other prominent collectors of his work were Karel Kupka and Edward L Ruhe The artist is represented in most major public collections in Australia and several overseas museums including the recently opened Musée du quai Branly in Paris