Warlugulong. by Clifford Possum

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1 Warlugulong by Clifford Possum Student: Tristan Kaarid Teacher: Ms. Wood Date: Dec. 19, 2008

2 1. Identification Warlugulong by Clifford Possum Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri & Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri Warlugulong cm x cm, Estate of Clifford Possum Tjapaltarri. Courtesy of Aboriginal Artists Agency. Synthetic Polymer on Canvas. Clifford Possum is an aboriginal Australian artist. He painted this painting with the help of his older brother, Tim. Possum had a patron early on in his career: Geoffrey Bardon was a young teacher, who traveled to Papunya. He described the settlement that Possum lived in as an unsewered, undrained, garbage-strewn death camp in all but name. Instead of just leaving these people to stay in this horrid place, he introduced them to watercolour and acrylic paint. He also encouraged them to paint their ancestral stories. Thus the birth of a completely new, completely unique style of abstract painting: the Papunya Tula tribe. Clifford Possum paints for a secular audience because his intent was to spread his tribal teachings. Until later years when they sought to hide the sacred symbols of their tribal legends. In 1987, Judith Ryan bought the painting from the group of artists from Papunya, for the National Gallery of Victoria for $ !!! This was a steal said Ryan, because with the escalating prices, it was later resold for a little over $2.4 million! That had more than doubled the previously record holder!

3 2. Iconography and Symbolism Clifford Possum s Warlugulong is a narrative of a legend of the Papunya Tula s tribe. It is titled Warlugulong because it takes place in the area of Warlugulong, 200 miles north-west of Alice Springs. According to legend, here the two sons of Lungkata, a blue-tongued lizard man, killed a kangaroo. Instead of following the customary manner, and sharing with their father, they ate all the meat! Lungkata, infuriated, started a forest fire which engulfed his two sons, and led to their demise. This Contemporary Abstract Aboriginal painting, was a painting of a legend at Warlugulong. It contains many symbols to depict the legend. Originally these dreamings would be painted on sand using various natural dyes and ceremonies would be held. However as of what is known as the Bardon Era these dreamings were captured in a more widespread manner. In the centre of the canvas the fire blazes, while to the right, two skeletons are lying in clouds of smoke. All around the scene are other sacred stories, or dreamings, with footprints showing the central character s journey. While the common symbols are usually simple, they can be used in collaboration to depict a much bigger picture. Artists often refer to the outside story which they tell the general public. All the while they retain an inside story, that only those with a certain level of knowledge can access. This was also the first time that an aboriginal artist depicted several dreamings in one painting.

4 3. Techniques and Stylistic Qualities With his extensive skill of layering and acrylic paints, Clifford Possum employed pointillism, loose brushstrokes, stippling, and a maplike guide to the legend. He used loose brush strokes to paint the background, which is the earth and forest in this painting. Stippling, and pointillism are used to further accentuate detail in the fire, earth, burning trees, and is also used to depict the foot prints- the journey of the protagonists. He uses a top-down aerial perspective style of painting to illustrate the legend, almost like you were flying over head, this was a distinctive technique employed by Possum that made him one of the forefathers of the Papunya Tula school. He uses line, abstract shapes, mainly warm colours, and texture. He uses line when he paints the squiggly yellow lines almost in a box like manner. This painting is riddled with abstract shapes, in the form of blotches or blobs. Clifford Possum mainly employed warm colours like red, yellow, pink, orange, and some of the browns, but also interestingly used cool colours like some deep purples and darker browns. The texture in this painting is rather unorthodox in the way that it is texture but not the way you d expect it. It is texture in the form of making his shapes look dirty or gritty using the many dots. He used the principles of design as follows: asymmetry, contrast, repetition, and tension. Asymmetry was clearly used! The objects on either side are completely different! Contrast, which is a little less common, was used in a few spots, like just above the focal point (the fire in the middle) where there is a deep purple touching a mustard yellow. Repetition was used thoroughly in the many spiral circles, in the squiggly yellow lines, and in the white blotches at the top. Tension was again less commonly used, however against the squiggly lines, circles were introduced periodically along the lines.

5 4. Influence Clifford Possum was influenced by two people, his father and Geoffrey Bardon. He was influenced by his father mainly because of his culture. In his aboriginal upbringing he was taught to be like his father. This is actually where the style of painting comes from. The men of the tribes would go the the beach and do sand drawings of their dreamings to be able to join their father, and their father s father in the totem. Clifford Possum was taught by his father to paint with organic materials. However this all changed when Geoffrey Bardon came to their settlement. He encouraged the children to paint their dreamings and when the elder men saw this, they started to paint a mural on walls. Unfortunately these were painted over by the white administrators of Papunya. This started to attract attention to their art. Geoffrey Bardon introduced acrylics and canvas to Clifford, and discouraged western images to nurture the purity of the art. On a side note, Clifford Possum was also influenced by his brother, Tim Leura, to do this painting. He also did this painting with Clifford Possum.

6 5. Evaluation Clifford Possum does not only belong to the movement of dessert aboriginal art, but his outstanding style is arguably what made it what it is today! Clifford Possum was one of the original Papunya Tula artists, and later went on to be the chairman of the group. He was a wood carver prior to joining, when his brother Tim encouraged him to join the Papunya Tula. It was evident early in his career that he had something the others didn t, his attention to fine detail was helping him differentiate himself from the rest of the group. This got the attention of Europe in the late 70s and 80s.