Jack Britten (Dcsd.) |
 c. 1921 22nd July 2002 Jack was born Alice Downs Station and commenced stockwork at an early age. He worked on many stations in the East Kimberley, and as a drover to many parts of Australia, including the Canning Stock Route to Alice Springs and east to Central Queensland. He had an incredible recall and enjoyed talking about his working days he could remember the name of every station owner (all good men, them) and all the characters from the early settler days. He had a great sense of humour, and his story telling was nothing short of riveting. A Senior Kitja Lawman, Jack began painting after his stockwork, with Paddy Jampinji, George Mung Mung and Rover Thomas. He recalled being given a piece of canvas and the difficulty of painting in hot weather, as the canvas shrunk and buckled when the ochre was applied. He and the original Ochre artists decided to stretch these unwieldy canvases onto plywood. Today, Aboriginal artists refer to stretched canvas as painting boards. Jack told of using the natural bush gums and kangaroo blood as binders for the ochre, of Rover chewing grass to colour and bulk up the ochre if it was poor quality. Because of his detailed knowledge of the land and the Ngarrangkarni (Dreaming) stories of his culture, Jack was able to depict accurately a myriad of subject matter in his painting career and this he was, right up until his passing, very willing to teach to the younger generations of his people. He was heard to say many times that the Aboriginal culture would be preserved by the dancing, singing and the stories of the paintings. Jack formed the Wurreranginy (Frog Hollow) Community south of Turkey Creek, and painted there for many years with his long time friends Henry Wambini and Beerbee Mungnari. He relocated to Turkey Creek in 2001 but was always referred to as The old man from Frog Hollow. He was Traditional Custodian of Purnululu, the subject matter of many of his paintings, as well as the station country closest to him Hann Springs, Tickelara, Mabel Downs, Lissadell, Texas Downs. Since the late 1980s, Jack exhibited Australia-wide, including Crossroads Towards a new Reality, Aboriginal Art from Australia, Tokyo 1992, Images of Power National Gallery of Victoria 1993. 1992 saw him win the prestigious Museums and Art Galleries Award and the National Aboriginal Art Award. His work is included Australia wide and Internationally in the best private and corporate collections, including Artbank, Sydney; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Gifu Museum Japan. Jack was included in Australias Top 50 Most Collectable Artists 2004. Selected Collections Artbank, Sydney Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth Gifu Museum, Japan Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin National Gallery of Australia, Canberra National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne The Holmes a Court Collection, Perth The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, U.S.A. Selected Exhibitions 1987 Aboriginal Art from the Kimberley, Goolarabooloo Gallery, Broome 1988 Art of the East Kimberley, Birrukmarri Gallery, Perth ANCAAA and Boomalli, Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative, Sydney Aboriginal Art from the East Kimberley, NSW Craft Council Gallery, Sydney 1989 Turkey Creek Recent Work, Deutscher Gertrude Street, Melbourne 1990 7th National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum & Art Gallery of NT, Darwin 1992 Crossroads Towards a New Reality, Aboriginal Art from Australia, National Museums of Modern Art, Kyoto and Tokyo Broome Fringe Festival, Broome 9th National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum & Art Gallery of NT, Darwin 1993 Images of Power, Aboriginal Art of the Kimberley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne 1994 Australian Heritage Commission National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Old Parliament House, Canberra Power of the Land, Masterpieces of Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of Victoria 1996 13th National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum & Art Gallery of NT, Darwin 1997 Imaging the Land, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne 1999 Images in Ochre, Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney Selected Bibliography Aboriginal Artists of Western Australia, [n.d.] [folios of works and biographies], Aboriginal Education Resources Unit, W. Australia. Australian Art Collector, issue 7 1999 Caruana, W., 1993, Aboriginal Art, Thames and Hudson, London. (C) Dixon, R.A., & Dillon, M.C., 1990, Aborigines and Diamond Mining: The Politics of Resource Development in the East Kimberley Western Australia, University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands, Western Australia. 1988, ANCAAA and Boomalli, exhib. cat., Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Ko-operative, Sydney. (C) McCulloch, A., & McCulloch, S., 1994, The Encyclopaedia of Australian Art, Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd, St Leonards, New South Wales. McCulloch S, Contemporary Aboriginal Art: a guide to the rebirth of an ancient culture Allen & Unwin 1999 Ryan, J., 1993, Images of Power, Aboriginal Art of the Kimberley, exhib, cat., National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Smoker, J., 1989, Turkey Creek Recent Work, exhib. cat., Deutscher Gertrude Street, Melbourne. |
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
One of the unique skills Artists from the Kimberely region possess is the ability to mix the natural ochre pigments to create truly spectacular colours, shadings and effects that give ochre artworks a uniqueness unseen in any other style of art anywhere in the world.
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I wanted to send on an enormous thank you to your family and its business.
I picked up the painting today from the framers, it is absolutely mesmerising.
Thanks for making the purchase of this beautiful artwork possible.
All the best to you, I hope your business prospers and thrives.
Should we consider another purchase in the coming years we will look you up,
and you will be highly recommended to anyone else we know who is interested in Aboriginal art.
Nyree, VIC
I received Deanne Peters's work today in the post.
This is the first ever piece of art that I have bought let alone through the Internet.
I love it. I appreciated the opportunity to buy a piece that I work afford within my
budget and I think it is a great idea to produce smaller pieces.
Now I just have to start saving for another.
Amanda, Ireland
Thanks so much. Ms Peter's work is absolutely beautiful.
I must stop looking at the website.
I'll run out of wall space!
Louise, ACT
Thanks so much for your e-mail, I am really looking forward to receiving my
paintings, and will let you know when they arrive.
Thanks so much for the kind friendly manner in which you have been with me,
I appreciate that.
Karen, UK
Thank you so much. I’m looking forward to receive Helen’s Water Dreaming.
I like the drawing and the colours a lot. Christopher Churchill’s Desert Nights is my favourite picture.
Often I pass by, have a look at it and smile. It is a very special picture for me.
Ursula, Switzerland
Just wanted to let you know I received my lovely painting.
Please pass on my thanks to Jeannie.
It's absolutely beautiful!
Lindy, VIC
Paintings arrived on Wednesday and they are great!
Thanks for your help.
Nathan, Canada
The two Alan Griffiths paintings arrived safely today.
So well packed. Thank you for dispatching them so punctually.
We are thrilled with them and currently debating wall alternatives.
Axel, NSW
My picture arrived this morning!!
It is quite wonderful.
Thank you so much for sending it.
Missing your red earth and sun.
Jill, UK
This is to let you know that the two
paintings by Churchill Cann and
Charlene Carrington arrived home safely
and in good condition.
They look beautiful on our walls.
Should you happen to see Churchill and
Charlene we would be very grateful if
you would thank them and let them know
how much we admire and respect their work.
Bill and Margo, ACT
The artworks have arrived.
All pieces are just beautiful.
Thank you very much.
Meg, UK
We recently purchased “Wild
Passionfruit and Tomato” by Margaret
Davis Kemarre during our visit to
your gallery in Kununurra. It was
delivered to our home in Sydney
last week. We just wanted to let you
know it had arrived safely and that
we are very happy with our purchase.
Thank you for your assistance.
Philip and Elizabeth, NSW
Just wanted to let you know that I've
received my art piece.I'm thrilled.
I appreciate the photo of Cindy & bio.
It makes it much more personal....
It's like I've met Cindy.
Give her my thanks and her willingness
to share her talent and vision.
Walt, USA
I've been meaning to send you a note to say thank you and we're very happy.
The painting arrived quickly and it's up on the wall and looks great.
Cathy, NSW
Just to let you know the artwork was well received today,
and I am very pleased with it.
Thanks again for your excellent service.
Lene, Denmark
The most beautiful Kudditji painting has arrived this morning, it is so magnificent.
It took my breath away!! Thank you very much.
Karen, NSW
I received my beautiful Bush Leaves canvas by Jeannie Petyarre last week.
I bought it on a very rushed visit to Kununurra enroute from Warmun to Darwin.
The minute I saw it I knew it was what I had been looking for.
It is at the framers now for stretching onto a frame. I can not wait to hang it in my home.
Thank you so much for getting it to me in such good condition.
I'm so glad I popped into your gallery for what I said would be a "quick walk through.
Luckily my friend in Warmun had said "make sure you go to Artlandish".
Having had the opportunity to spend time in an indigenous community
I feel blessed to have such a beautiful artwork.
Please place me on your mailing list.
Best wishes
Sue
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