Unique exhibition showcases artworks by the Ngukurr community

12-July-2002

The exhibition of prints from Ngukurr is the result of a two year exchange, collaboration and workshops between visual artists from the University of Wollongong, Faculty of Creative Arts (Sue Blanchfield, Sue Lovegrove and Emma Rutherford) and Simon White from Northern Editions, Northern Territory University (NTU), and the artists of the Ngukurr community.

Ngukurr is on the Roper River in south-east Arnhem Land. Ngukurr artists have a diversity of painting styles that is at first bewildering to outsiders used to reading traditional iconography of specific geographic regions. The artists of Ngukurr are drawn from a wide area that stretches north to NE Arnhem Land , Central Arnhem Land, south to Tennant Creek, east to the Gulf country and Groote Eylandt and west to Katherine.

In Ngukurr Arts one can see paintings in the central desert dot style, raark crosshatching, and a hybridity of influences that reflect the layered history of Ngukurr's past as a mission centre that brought together people from outside the traditional owners country. The uniting element in all the paintings is the love of uninhibited colour to depict the landscape and cultural stories of ceremony.

The first work shop was in July 2000, introducing lino block printing; Sue Blanchfield and Sue Lovegrove spent two weeks in the community. Many blocks were proofed on site so the artists saw the results of their work and understood the principal of multiple images from one surface. The blocks were then editioned at NTU and at University of Wollongong.

The second workshop was in July 2001 and introduced multiple colour printing. The artists responded well to this method which much closer to their chosen practice. Preparatory work was done at Ngukurr then returned to NTU for printing. A third workshop immediately after the second involved working with some of the artists printing on cloth with silk screens.

Working mostly with the women, and producing natural dyes to prepare material; then a husband and wife team, Alan and Rebecca Joshua printed Alan's lino block designs that had been transferred onto screens. Alan agreed to an ongoing collaboration with a third year textile student at Wollongong, Dom Ferrante, to produce a repeat pattern from Alan's lino block designs.

Wollongong's role as facilitator of workshops and collaboration with NTU was crucial in cross fertilising possibilities and potential. This exhibition launches the first prints from Ngukurr on lino blocks and in multiple colour.

Where: FCA Gallery University of Wollongong Northfields Ave, Wollongong

When: 26th July 9th August 2002 Opening 28th July at 12.00 p.m. Gallery hours 9 Ð 5 pm. Monday to Friday Or by appointment 42215552

Contact: Glenn Barkley, curator at the University of Wollongong on 4221 5552.