Tingari Cycle - Ronnie Tjampitjinpa
Tingari Cycle - Ronnie Tjampitjinpa 0087
Acrylic on Canvas, 55.5 x 152 cm
$7,500
Contemporary art critics have been impressed with Ronnie Tjampitjinpa's large linear abstracted works which often reference sections of his earlier paintings enlarged into strong geometric forms, some using brilliant colour. His works can be found in major private and public collections.
Ronnie Tjampitjinpa was born circa 1943 in the country west of Kintore Range in Western Australia. His family travelled extensively across Pintupi Country, then walked into the Haasts Bluff settlement around 1956.
Ronnie later went to Yuendemu, then travelled on to Papunya, where he joined the Pintupi who were camped there in the 1970's. At Papunya he worked as a labourer. He recalls his early life as somewhat sedentary; food was readily available, but it was difficult to fulfil other expectations. He observe
d the Papunya painting movement during its early years, and began to paint around 1974.
This particular work, 'Tingari Cycle', represents an aspect of the Tingari creation event. The ancestral Tingari beings are said to have travelled over vast stretches of the country, performing rituals and creating and shaping particular sites.
The Tingari Men were usually followed by Tingari Women and accompanied by novices. Their travels and adventures are enshrined in a number of song cycles.
These creation stories form part of the teachings of post initiatory youths, at the same time providing the basis for contemporary customs. Since events associated with the Tingari Cycle are of a secret nature, no further details are given.
Cara Pinchbeck, Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, Art Gallery of NSW, is quoted as saying on the occasion of his solo exhibition: 'Tjampitjinpa has offered constant innovation within the traditions of Pintupi visual language. His controlled use of colour, strong contrast and defined line work ensure his works are optically charged. he also captures the dynamism and intensity of those who shaped country and continue to inform landscap.e in the present'