Valerie Lynch Napaltjarri
Encyclopedia
Valerie Lynch Napaltjarri (born 13 September 1970) is an Indigenous Australian artist
from Papunya
in Australia's Northern Territory
. She is a painter and printmaker whose work has been collected by the National Gallery of Australia
.
. As of 2008 she lived at Papunya, and is a director of the Papunya Tjupi Art Centre Aboriginal Corporation.
'Napaljarri
' (in Warlpiri) or 'Napaltjarri' (in Western Desert dialects) is a skin name
, one of sixteen used to denote the subsections or subgroups in the kinship system of central Australian Indigenous people. These names define kinship relationships that influence preferred marriage partners and may be associated with particular totems. Although they may be used as terms of address, they are not surnames in the sense used by Europeans. Thus 'Valerie Lynch' is the element of the artist's name that is specifically hers.
. Their work, which used acrylic paints to create designs representing body painting and ground sculptures, rapidly spread across Indigenous communities of central Australia, particularly following the commencement of a government-sanctioned art program in central Australia in 1983. By the 1980s and 1990s, such work was being exhibited internationally. The first artists, including all of the founders of the Papunya Tula
artists' company, had been men, and there was resistance amongst the Pintupi men of central Australia to women painting. However, there was also a desire amongst many of the women to participate, and in the 1990s large numbers of them began to create paintings. In the western desert communities such as Kintore, Yuendumu, Balgo
, and on the outstations
, people were beginning to create art works expressly for exhibition and sale.
painters of the 1970s. Her work Women Digging for Honey Ants at Karrinyarra was included in a group exhibition, curated by prominent curator and author Vivien Johnson, at the Ivan Dougherty Gallery in 2007. The exhibition marked the opening of the first art centre in three decades at the Papunya community. As well as painting, Valerie Lynch has undertaken printmaking. Two of her prints, made using open-bite etching
and aquatint
, are in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia
. These were made in 2007, published by Cicada Press, and purchased by the gallery in that same year. Also in 2007, Valerie Lynch participated in a group exhibition, organised through the University of New South Wales
College of Fine Arts, and held at Orange, New South Wales
Regional Gallery. Her work was exhibited alongside that of other prominent Australian artists including Adam Cullen
, John Coburn
, Cherry Hood
and Michael Nelson Jagamarra
.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
from Papunya
Papunya, Northern Territory
Papunya is a small Indigenous Australian community of about 299 people roughly 240 km northwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Australia...
in Australia's Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. She is a painter and printmaker whose work has been collected by the National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
.
Life
Valerie Lynch was born 13 September 1970 at Papunya, Northern TerritoryPapunya, Northern Territory
Papunya is a small Indigenous Australian community of about 299 people roughly 240 km northwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Australia...
. As of 2008 she lived at Papunya, and is a director of the Papunya Tjupi Art Centre Aboriginal Corporation.
'Napaljarri
Napaljarri (skin name)
Napaljarri or Napaltjarri is one of sixteen skin names used amongst Indigenous Australian people of Australia's Western Desert, including the Pintupi and Warlpiri. It is one of the eight female skin names...
' (in Warlpiri) or 'Napaltjarri' (in Western Desert dialects) is a skin name
Australian Aboriginal kinship
Australian Aboriginal kinship is the system of law governing social interaction, particularly marriage, in traditional Australian Aboriginal culture...
, one of sixteen used to denote the subsections or subgroups in the kinship system of central Australian Indigenous people. These names define kinship relationships that influence preferred marriage partners and may be associated with particular totems. Although they may be used as terms of address, they are not surnames in the sense used by Europeans. Thus 'Valerie Lynch' is the element of the artist's name that is specifically hers.
Background
Contemporary Indigenous art of the western desert began when Indigenous men at Papunya began painting in 1971, assisted by teacher Geoffrey BardonGeoffrey Bardon
Geoffrey Robert Bardon AM 1940, Sydney – 6 May 2003) was an Australian school teacher who was instrumental in creating the Aboriginal art of the Western Desert movement, and in bringing Australian indigenous art to the attention of the world....
. Their work, which used acrylic paints to create designs representing body painting and ground sculptures, rapidly spread across Indigenous communities of central Australia, particularly following the commencement of a government-sanctioned art program in central Australia in 1983. By the 1980s and 1990s, such work was being exhibited internationally. The first artists, including all of the founders of the Papunya Tula
Papunya Tula
Papunya Tula, or Papunya Tula Artists Pty Ltd, is an artist cooperative formed in 1972 that is owned and operated by Aboriginal people from the Western Desert of Australia. The group is known for its innovative work with the Western Desert Art Movement, popularly referred to as "dot painting"...
artists' company, had been men, and there was resistance amongst the Pintupi men of central Australia to women painting. However, there was also a desire amongst many of the women to participate, and in the 1990s large numbers of them began to create paintings. In the western desert communities such as Kintore, Yuendumu, Balgo
Balgo, Western Australia
Balgo is a small Aboriginal Community in Western Australia which is linked with both the Great Sandy Desert and the Tanami Desert. The Community is in the Shire of Halls Creek, off the Tanami Road . It has a petrol station, supermarket, Catholic Parish, School Adult Education Centre, Clinic and...
, and on the outstations
Outstation movement
The Outstation movement refers to the relocation of Indigenous Australians from towns to remote outposts on traditional tribal land.As described in the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody a range of problems faced Aboriginal people living in towns.During the 1980s a number of groups...
, people were beginning to create art works expressly for exhibition and sale.
Career
Valerie Lynch is a member of Papunya Tjupi, a group of descendents of the Papunya TulaPapunya Tula
Papunya Tula, or Papunya Tula Artists Pty Ltd, is an artist cooperative formed in 1972 that is owned and operated by Aboriginal people from the Western Desert of Australia. The group is known for its innovative work with the Western Desert Art Movement, popularly referred to as "dot painting"...
painters of the 1970s. Her work Women Digging for Honey Ants at Karrinyarra was included in a group exhibition, curated by prominent curator and author Vivien Johnson, at the Ivan Dougherty Gallery in 2007. The exhibition marked the opening of the first art centre in three decades at the Papunya community. As well as painting, Valerie Lynch has undertaken printmaking. Two of her prints, made using open-bite etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
and aquatint
Aquatint
Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching.Intaglio printmaking makes marks on the matrix that are capable of holding ink. The inked plate is passed through a printing press together with a sheet of paper, resulting in a transfer of the ink to the paper...
, are in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
. These were made in 2007, published by Cicada Press, and purchased by the gallery in that same year. Also in 2007, Valerie Lynch participated in a group exhibition, organised through the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
College of Fine Arts, and held at Orange, New South Wales
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
Regional Gallery. Her work was exhibited alongside that of other prominent Australian artists including Adam Cullen
Adam Cullen
Adam Cullen , Australian artist, most known for winning the Archibald Prize in 2000 with a portrait of actor David Wenham. He is also known for his controversial subjects or work...
, John Coburn
John Coburn
John Coburn was an Australian painter. He is also known for his tapestries.Coburn served in the Navy during World War 2 and later enrolled at the National Art School.He won the Blake Prize for Religious Art twice....
, Cherry Hood
Cherry Hood
Cherry Hood is an Australian artist, and sometimes a portraitist. She won the 2002 Archibald Prize for her portrait, Simon Tedeschi Unplugged.- Biography :...
and Michael Nelson Jagamarra
Michael Nelson Jagamarra
-Biography:Tjakamarra was born at Vaughan Springs in the Northern Territory around 1949. He first saw white men at Mt Doreen station and remembers hiding in the bush in fear! Michael lived at Haasts Bluff for a time with the same family group as Long Jack Phillipus Tjakammara. Later his parents...
.