Title

Milpurrurru, George.

Author

Australian Art Print Network.

Source

[Not applicable]

Publication date

2001

Type

Biography

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

George Milpurrurru

George Milpurrurru is recognised as having been one of the major bark painters of Arnhem Land. He was also a ceremonial leader of the Ganalbingu language speaking people, a skilled hunter, amarngitj or traditional healer, a ceremonial singer and dancer.

His connections to country, people and the Dreaming are reflected in the recurring themes of his work and the Dreamings of his clan, the Gurrumba Gurrumba.

Milpurrurru’s figurative art maintains the religious nature of the subject matter through the repeated patterns of motifs across the surface of his work. The repetition of images refers to the regular patterns of conventional motifs found in the sacred paintings made for ceremonial purposes. The dynamic surfaces of Milpurrurru’s paintings capture the vitality of the inner play between song, movement and painting in ceremony. Milpurrurru’s work is firmly based on the classical tradition of bark painting yet it reflects the vision of a contemporary artist working in the modern world.

His work was represented in three Biennales of Sydney as well as in major exhibitions in Australia, South-East Asia and America. Milpurrurru was one of the principal contributors to The Aboriginal Memorial 1998 made from 200 painted burial poles symbolising 200 years of white occupation of Australia. This installation has since been exhibited overseas including in the Hermitage Museum of St Petersburg and is on permanent display in the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Milpurrurru, together with fellow artists Roy Burnyila and David Daymirringu (Malangi) sang to consecrate the placing of the poles in the National Gallery. He is one of the few Australian artists who have been honoured with a solo retrospective exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia.

Biography courtesy of the Australian Art Print Network, 2001.

© Australianprints