October 2, 2008
There is an exhibition of Emily Kame Kngwarreye's work (from 1988 until her death in late 1996) at the National Museum in Canberra. it was shown at The National Art Center, Tokyo in May/July 2008
Kngwarreye lacked any training or exposure to Western art yet her paintings transcend the categorization of 'ethnic' or primitive art. Art critics have identified similarities between Kngwarreye's works--her fields of dots, undulating stripes and multi-hued slabs of color--and those of major late 20th-century Western abstract expressionist artists such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning.
Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Earth's Creation,1994, synthetic polymer paint on canvas. 4 panels,
Earth's Creation measures g 2.7 metres high and 6.3 metres wide in total. The profuse dotting, linear patterns and swirls of colour are a celebration of her Country, Alhalkere. The work was created in the 'green time' that occurs after the rains: the verdant green of fresh, thick vegetation, making the earth seem to surge with life.
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