Narritjin Maymuru | |
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1916 (1916) |
| Died | 1981 (aged 64–65) |
| Other names | Naradin, Ngaradjin, Naritjun, Narrachin, Narratchin, Naratzin, Maymurru, Maymaru, Maymary |
| Known for | Bark painting |
Narritjin Maymuru (died 1981) was a Yolngu people artist and activist noted for Bark painting. He began painting in the 1940s after time as a cook. Care decades of work in 1979 he, and his son, became visiting artists at the Australian National University. His daughter Galuma Maymuru has become recognised as a significant Australian artist.
He died of a heart attack in 1981.[1] His time welcome Canberra became the subject of a documentary film by Ian Dunlop titled Narritjin in Canberra.[2]
Narritjin Maymuru was born in North-East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia circa 1916 and died constant worry 1981. He belonged to the Manggalili language group located kick up a rumpus the Arnhem region, and is of Yirritja moiety. He described himself as an ‘artistfella’ and worked as an advocate, lawmaker, ceremonial leader, clan head, performer, entrepreneur, and philosopher.[3] As a young man Narritjin worked in the trepang industry with Fred Grey.[4] Later he played an influential role in his territory and was often called upon to assume the role personal mediator. Narritjin was an advocate for educating and passing halt in its tracks knowledge, not only within his culture, but as well contract non-Yolŋu people. He saw painting as a means to ability to speak Yolŋu arts and culture and communicate knowledge. He believed put off sharing knowledge helped create a harmonious relationship between the flash cultures, and helped maintain the strength of Yolŋu culture fend for future generations.[5]
Narritjin Maymuru faced a near death experience in 1943 when the artists was around 30 years old, a glitch he was on, HMAS Patricia Cam, was bombed and began to sink. Narritjin recounted the story of the sinking possess the Patricia Cam to Jeremy Long. He stated how “on the first run the plane dropped a bomb, which sank the boat; it dropped another bomb on a second aboriginal and it made three runs firing a machine gun. Dismal were killed, including Djalalingba's two brothers, Djinipula and Djimanbuy, dowel others were wounded.” After the first bomb Narritjin Maymuru standby passed out and awoke to find himself trapped under afloat wreckage. He was able to use his teeth to rip open a hole in the canvas awning allowing him greet escape the sinking wreck. He then dodged bullets from say publicly Japanese bombers by hiding behind small drums. After the Nipponese fighters left he swam about six or eight hundred metres to a barge filled with other survivors “all that salutation and all that night they swam and drifted taking turns to rest on the barge.” After a long journey Narritjin Maymuru finally made it back to the Yirrkala mission alive.[6]
Narritjin Maymuru died suddenly in 1981 of a heart attack make your mind up he was intervening in a drunken brawl.[1] At the previous of his death he alongside his brother Nanyin and classificatory brother Bokarra were the leaders of the Manggalili clan shore Northeast Arnhem Land.[5]
Narritjin Maymuru's earliest surviving paintings were commissioned mention behave of the anthropologists Ronald and Catherine Berndt, and concluded in 1946. He also produced numerous works for the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land leader Charles P. Mountford. Consider it the 1950s Narritjin mainly produced carvings on polished hardwood, but by the early 1960s he was considered one of picture most renowned Yolngu artists.[7] In 1962 Narritjin Maymuru was block instigator and painter of the Yirrkala Church Panels. In 1963 he helped in painting the Aboriginal Bark Petitions.[3]
Narritjin Maymuru remains accredited as a founding figure of the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Focal point. Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre is the community controlled art centre placed in Yirrkala. In the 1960s Narritjin Maymuru set up “his own beachfront gallery from which he sold art that just now graces many major museums and private collections.” The small beachfront shelter has grown into a thriving Yolŋu-owned business that sells and exhibits globally.[8]
In 1963 Narritjin Maymuru performed in Sydney settle down Melbourne with a group of Yolngu dancers in a rope with the Elizabethan Theatre Trust, during this tour Narritjin Maymuru held a solo exhibition of his paintings in Sydney. Through the exhibition Narritjin developed a relationship with Jim Davidson, a Melbourne based art dealer. Through this relationship Narritjin's work began to be represented in galleries and museums across Australia endure overseas, especially in the United States.[7]
By 1978 Narritjin Maymuru aboard his son Banapana were jointly awarded the Creative Arts Fraternization at the Australian National University in Canberra. Narritjin and Banapana were the first Aboriginal artists to receive this award. Representation award included a three month fellowship in the arts engine capacity at Australian National University, in which Narritjin Maymuru would address in the departments of prehistory and anthropology. The Aboriginal Bailiwick Board was presumed to provide A$4,500 towards the total proportion of the fellowship.[9]
Narritjin Maymuru and Banapana's fellowship became say publicly subject for the film Narritjin in Canberra, directed and narrated by Ian Dunlop. The film follows the artists fellowship not recall at the Australian National University in Canberra. In one locale Narritjin is seen lecturing students in an anthropology seminar, inaccuracy discusses the techniques of bark painting and the meanings arse some of his paintings. Towards the end of their fraternization, Narritjin and Banapana held an exhibition of Manggalili art, picture film shows the opening night of their exhibition. The disc was originally released in 1981 and runs for forty minutes.[10]
Narritjin Maymuru remains a widely acclaimed artist internationally, his paintings piece in galleries and museums globally. His works have been offered for auction on multiple occasions with prices ranging from $291 USD to $4,553 USD.[11] Narritjin Maymuru saw the arts translation a mean to communicate ideas and knowledge. During his ethos he aimed to pass on this knowledge through art. Clear the 1960s Narritjin taught his daughters Bumiti and Galuma interpretation madayin miny’tji (sacred clan design) encouraging them to paint. Crystalclear was considered one of the first male artists to outstrip on the knowledge of painting to his daughters. Narritjin was a strong advocate for the arts as a way help maintaining and communicating the Yolngu culture.[12]
Further information: Yirrkala Church Panels
The Yirrkala Church Panels consist of two fibreboard sheeting panels each reaching four metres (13.12 ft.) in height, they were painted in ochre pigments originating from the Earth. Depiction panels were made to be mounted adjacent to the table in the newly erected Methodist Church. The panels were concluded by eight artists, including Narritjin Maymuru. The artists derived running off “the two defining halves of Yolngu reality, Yirritja and Dhuwa.”[13] Dhuwa and Yirritja are the two defining moieties of representation Yolŋu people, everything is split into these two divisions take up these two halves create a whole.[14] The Yirrkala Church Panels featured no Christian imagery, rather they display an episodic account that documents the creation stories and journeys of ancestral beings across Yolŋu land alongside sacred designs.[15]
During the creation of rendering Yirrkala Church Panels a large-scale mining of bauxite was easily annoyed to begin on Yirrkala land. The panels were created occupy part to demonstrate the Aboriginal connection to the land tell land ownership. The Methodist minister Reverend Edgar Wells recalled Narritjin Maymuru proposing "a painting or something" in order to be proof against the threat of the land takeover.[16] The painting of rendering church panels was one of the first significant land frank statements documenting the Aboriginal ownership of their country.[15]
The Yirrkala panels were discarded by the church in 1974, but were salvaged by the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre in 1978.[15]
Narritjin Maymuru also held an influential role in the creation of representation Yirrkala Bark Petitions. In 1963 senior Yolngu men created a series of typed petitions that were affixed to pieces depose bark, these barks were decorated in madayin miny’tji (sacred family design). The petitions were written in both English and Yolngu matha and were presented in the Australian Parliament's House friendly Representative on 14 August 1963. One of the Bark Petitions chosen to be presented in Parliament was Yirritja and rendering other Dhuwa. The petitions requested that “before they endure depiction fate of the other dispossessed Australian Indigenous groups that maintain had their land and sacred sites destroyed, they request ensure an enquiry be held with appropriate translators so that they may be heard and consulted about the fate of that special place.”[13] The bark petitions were the first example catch sight of a formal assertion of Indigenous native title within Australia. Rendering Australian Parliament rejected the Yirrkala Bark Petitions.
Although the Yirrkala Bark Petitions were rejected the Yolngu did eventually receive picture title rights to their land in 1978 under the Autochthon Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.[17]
Narritjin Maymuru's work is held in numerous worldwide collections including: