Myrtle Petyarre
Myrtle Petyarre
- Born: c. 1930
- Deceased: 2014
- Language Group: Anmatyerre
- Country: Atnangkere, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
- Medium: Acrylic on Canvas and Linen, Batik on Silk
- Subjects: Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard) Dreaming, Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Akatyerre (Desert Raisin), Awelye (Women's Ceremony) for Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard)
Myrtle Petyarre, born around 1932 at Utopia Station in Central Australia, was a celebrated artist known for her intricate depictions of the Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard) Dreaming and Awelye (Women's Ceremony) through bold, linear patterns. She was one of the esteemed Petyarre sisters, which include highly collectible artists Kathleen Petyarre and Gloria Petyarre. Myrtle passed away in March 2014 after an illness.
Myrtle's paintings are characterized by curvilinear patterns representing Awelye (Women's Ceremony and Body Paint Designs) for the Arnkerrthe Dreamtime story. This story, belonging to the people from Atnangkere and Alhalkere country in the Utopia region, northeast of Alice Springs, details the ancestral travels of the Mountain Devil Lizard. The women of her community smear their bodies with animal fat and trace these patterns onto their breasts, arms, and thighs using powders ground from red and yellow ochre, charcoal, and ash. These body paint designs are applied with a flat stick with soft padding while the women sing songs related to the lizard's journey north to Waramugu country.
Myrtle was deeply involved with the Utopia Women's Batik group since its inception in the early 1970s. Her work is part of the 'A Picture Story' project initiated by CAAMA in the late 1980s, and she began painting on canvas in 1988 with CAAMA's Summer Project. Myrtle's artworks are known for their bold linear patterns, illustrating body paint designs for the Mountain Devil Lizard Story.
Collections:
- The Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, WA
- Mbantua Gallery Collection, Alice Springs, NT
- National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
- Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, NSW
- University of Queensland, Anthropology Museum, St Lucia, QLD
Exhibitions:
- 1984: The First National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
- 1985: The Second National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
- 1986: The Third National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
- 1988: The Fifth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
- 1989: Utopia Women's Paintings, the First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project, 1988-1989, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, NSW
- 1990: Utopia - A Picture Story, an Exhibition of 88 works on Silk by Utopian Artists, Holmes à Court Collection, toured Eire and Scotland
- 1991: The Eighth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
- 1992: Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
- 1994: Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
- 2001: Mountain Devil Lizard, Arnkerrthe - Myrtle, Nancy, and Violet Petyarre, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT
- 2001: Seven Sisters Petyarre, Brisbane City Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
- 2002: Seven Sisters, Chrissie Cotter Gallery, Sydney, NSW
- 2002-2004: Mbantua Gallery USA Exhibitions
- 2004-2006: Evolution of Utopia - Opened by the Honorable Robert Hill, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT
- 2005: Small Wonders, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT
References:
- Brody, A. (1989) Utopia Women's Paintings: The First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project 1988-89, exhib.cat., Heytesbury Holdings, Perth, WA
- Brody, A. (1990) Utopia: A Picture Story, 88 Silk Batiks from the Robert Holmes à Court Collection, Heytesbury Holdings, Perth, WA
- Desart (2000) The Aboriginal Art Centres of Central Australia, Putting in the Colour - Contemporary Aboriginal Textiles, Jukurrpa Books (IAD Press)
