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Compact umbrella featuring Mervyn Rubuntja

This beautiful compact umbrella features the artwork of senior artist Mervyn Rubuntja. The original painting created in 2015 is titled Tjoritja (West MacDonnell Ranges, NT). Painted in a circular format it provides an all-compassing view of Mervyn’s West Aranda country.

Mervyn is the Chairperson of Iltja Ntjarra, the 100% Aboriginal owned and directed art centre supporting landscape painters in Mparntwe (Alice Spring). Iltja Ntjarra has a special focus on supporting the ‘Hermannsburg School’ style watercolour artists, who continue to paint in the tradition of their grandfather and relative, Albert Namatjira, arguably one of Australia’s most famous artists of the 20th century. Albert Namatjira taught his children to follow in his unique style, who have since passed this knowledge on to their children, which has resonated in a legacy of watercolour artists in the Central Desert region. By continuing his legacy, these artists sustain an important piece of living history.

Whilst committed to continuing the Namatjira legacy, the Iltja Ntjarra artists are also brave and adventurous and excited by the possibilities of seeing their works reimagined in different formats and for different purposes. They have undertaken a number of projects to explore these possibilities. Once such project was the development of the Namatjira Collection, a beautiful range of limited editions 1950’s era circle skirts on to which artists’ circular landscape paintings were printed. Mervyn created a number of circular paintings for the project including the painting now reimagined on this umbrella.

Mervyn’s original artwork circular watercolour landscape on paper was first exhibited alongside a circular skirt with his painting digital printed on it in May 2015 at RAFT artspace in Mparntwe (Alice Spring). The collection was then showcased at the Art Gallery of South Australia in late 2015 as part of TARNANTHI: Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art. The original painting were also transformed into illuminated sculptures for Parrtjima: A Festival of Light in 2016 under the title Inti Ljapa Ljapa Irapakalam, Butterfly going round and round.

Mervyn talks with enthusiasm of reimagining his watercolour painting for the project:

We are excited to go in a bit of different direction, but we still have the landscape paintings in our minds, the way it started.

This umbrella is a further extension of the 2015 project and one that Mervyn is excited to see come to fruition:

I like it because everyone can wear my artwork and show other people. We should do more of that, that’s what I’m thinking.

Categories: Iltja Ntjarra Many Hands art centre

Name: Mervyn Rubuntja

Language: Arrernte, Western Aranda

Community: Alice Springs

Biography:

Mervyn was born at the Telegraph Station in Alice Springs. His mother Cynthia (Kamara) Obitja was a Western Aranda woman. His father was the late Mr Wenten Rubuntja Pengarte a famous painter. 

His father was an important role model for Mervyn. He was a senior lawman and a respected member of his community. He fought for Aboriginal rights and protection of the land working alongside the Central Land Council and assisted in the Mabo agreement.

Mervyn has followed in his father's footsteps painting in the watercolour style that his father taught him. When Mervyn was 13 years old his family moved to Hermannsburg this is where he first saw watercolour paintings as he watched his uncles Maurice, Oscar and Keith Namatjira painting like their father Albert. Arnulf Ebatarinja another uncle kindled Mervyn’s painting talent when he gave him some watercolour paperboard and taught him to paint.

Mervyn’s family moved back to Alice Springs in 1975 and he began to paint with Basil Rantji who taught him how to mix colours. 

In 2006 Mervyn was invited to submit a painting for the "Mornington Peninsular Works on Paper" Exhibition. Mervyn was a finalist at the 2008/2017 NATSIA Awards in Darwin and in 2013 he was invited to participate at the seminar "Presences in the Art of Rex Battarbee and Albert Namatjira" at the State Library of NSW.

Projects:

2013          Speaker at “Haunted Landscapes Presences in the art of Albert Namtjira & Rex Battarbee". A public symposium presented by the Writing & Society. The State Library, Sydney, NSW 
2014          Public Art, Mural at the Alice Plaza, Alice Springs
2016          Parrtjima, Festival of Light, Alice Springs (Ground projection)
2016          Cicada Press print workshop, UNSW, Sydney
2017          Parrtjima, Festival of Light, Alice Springs, (Honouring Space) 
2018          Badu Gili, painting projection on the eastern Bennelong sail, Sydney Opera House, Sydney 
2019          Cicada Press print workshop, UNSW, Sydney

2020           Public Art, window wraps at the Alice Plaza through Red Hot Arts, Alice Springs, NT

  

 

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© the artist / art centre