Gloria Petyarre
138 x 72 in
Language Group: Anmatyerre
Born: 1938 at Utopia NT
Gloria is married to Ronnie Price and has six sisters, including Ada Bird Petyarre, Violet Petyarre, Myrtle Petyarre, and Kathleen Petyarre- who are all renowned artists. Gloria first became known as an artist for her contributions to Utopia Batik Exhibition which toured Australia and overseas from 1977 to 1987. She began using acrylic paint on canvas in 1988, because it gave her greater freedom of expression and better control over the results. In 1990 she travelled with the exhibition “Utopia: A Picture Story” to Dublin, London, Thailand and India. In 1999 she won the Wynne Prize for landscapes of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Her first solo show was in 1991 and since then has had many exhibitions including New York and London.
About the painting -
Wild Flowers and Bush Medicine Leaves
This painting represents the abundance of wild flowers and medicinal shrubs after the rains. The desert literally becomes a blanket of wild flowers in a matter of weeks. Many of these are used for medicinal purposes and they are also used as food. As the leaves and petals dry out, they fall of and are blown around by the wind. This is represented in the painting and gives it the movement.