Friday, 14 October - Friday, 30 November 2005

CIRCLES AND CEREMONIES : Paintings from Australia's Central and Western Deserts

Throughout history, the circle has been an important element in the artwork of Australia’s indigenous people. Whether painting on a cave wall or in the sand, drawing on the human body, or painting on canvas, Aboriginal artists have used the circle to symbolize ceremonial sites, waterholes, campfires, and other important features of their 40,000-year-old culture.

The gallery is currently showing paintings that incorporate the circle. The paintings depict important men’s and women’s ceremonies, ancient body paint patterns, traditional bush tucker and Milky Way Dreamings, and sacred sites. The work includes paintings on canvas and linen in traditional ochre colors, explosive and vivid contemporary designs, and heavily-layered and textural pieces. Among the artists featured are Wallaby Moss Kngwarreye, Minnie Pwerle, Janet Forester, Sylvia Walchope, Nancy Nungurrayi, and Lucky Morton Kngwarreye.

New Works from Utopia
One-night only trunk show and wine-and-cheese reception
5:30-8:00 pm (presentation by Tim Jennings at 6:30 pm)
Saturday, 5 November 2005

Please join us for a reception honoring Tim Jennings, owner of Mbantua Gallery in Alice Springs, who will make his first visit to Houston with a collection of new works from the Utopia region. We have worked with Tim since shortly after we opened the gallery in 2002, and visited him and his terrific new art-space in Alice Springs a few weeks ago. Tim is a fascinating speaker, based on his many years of experience working closely with leading Aboriginal artists, so please join us for a casual evening of Aboriginal art and Australian wine.

'Tis the Season. . . Please remember, an Aboriginal painting (always exchangeable) or a gift certificate for art is a perfect holiday gift for family, friends, or yourself! We'll gift-wrap, of course.

Blasius Erlinger: “Dreamings Down Under,” in Travel & Leisure, April 2005:
“The Australian poet Les Murray describes the great flourishing of Aboriginal art in recent years as ’Australia's jazz’. It's an apt comparison – like jazz, Aboriginal art takes new forms in different regions and communities, and blends traditional stories, beliefs, and iconographies with Western materials and ’instruments’.”