Alec Mingelmanganu circa 1905-1981

Painted at Kalumburu in North Western Australia in 1975
Kim Akerman Collection
Mary Macha, Perth, Western Australia
The Thomas Vroom Collection, The Netherlands

Kimberley Art Prize, Boab Festival, Derby, WA, June/July 1975, (as Austral Gothic)

Judith Ryan with Kim Akerman, Images of Power: Aboriginal Art of the Kimberley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1983, p.16.
Kim Akerman with John Stanton, Riji And Jakuli: Kimberley Pearl Shell In Aboriginal Australia, Northern Territory Museum of Arts and Sciences Darwin, NT, 1994, P.57, Pl.47

The painting was found lying down in the artist's camp in 1975. Photographs taken at the time by the collector Kim Akerman show the painting in very similar condition to its current state. In 1998 the geologist and rock art conservator John Clarke stabilised any areas of lifting pigment on the bark, prior to the work's acquisition by Thomas Vroom. There are several areas of pigment loss scattered throughout the image, as visible in the catalogue illustration. The bark's perimeter is pierced with numerous holes for attachment to the cane 'frame'; there is some splitting in the bark in areas between these holes. Most of the pigment appears relatively stable, although the white pigment on the upper torso and face has areas which appear flaky, although overall relatively stable.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This magnificent painting was executed by Alec in the wet season of February, 1975. Four months later I found it, face down in the dirt at Alec’s camp under the mango trees where the old people would gather to spend the day. Alec had painted it to “please himself”. Alec did not have any specific details about the nature of the Wanjina – which he also called Kaleru – a term that seemed to be used interchangeably with Wanjina in the far north Kimberley.

I entered the bark, on Alec’s behalf, into the 1975 Boab Festival Art Competition, Derby, WA, under the title ‘Austral Gothic’. Unfortunately, the judge, Frank Norton, Director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, decided that the work, while a brilliant example of Kimberley art, was undoubtedly an early ethnographic piece that consequently did not meet the conditions of the competition; i.e., a work executed within the last 12 months. On being informed however, that the work was in fact contemporary, Norton persuaded the West Kimberley Shire Council to make a payment to Alec equivalent to the value of first prize of sixty dollars.

The painting is executed on a sheet of bark taken from the Yalmin tree (Stringybark – Eucalyptus tetradonta). The arced reinforcement, unique to paintings from Kalumburu, is achieved by tying and sewing a length of the cane-like vine, Kaaji (Supplejack – Flagellaria indica) to the perimeter of the sheet of bark with lengths of bush-string, that has been spun from the inner bark of the young Tiimbal tree (Red-flowered Kurrajong – Brachychiton tridentatus).

The richly textured painted surface reflects Alec’s use of natural earth pigments, wunon - charcoal, jajal/jumpuri - red ochre, kumparu – yellow derived from the mineral limonite and onmal - the gleaming white pigment derived from the mineral, huntite. This texture accentuates the powerful figure and contributes to its unique quality of timelessness.

The paintings also demonstrate the peaked shoulders and Alec’s rather unique manner of showing the arms pendant from them. The halo that surrounds the head, in-filled with a loose mesh of dots, is also characteristic of his work. The finely dashed, red infilling seen on the body, represents kulingi (falling rain) and demonstrates a care in application not always found in works by other Wanjina painters. An iconic signature of Alec’s Wanjinas, are the close-set eyes, oval, arced or triangular, that are set hard against the nose. These eyes appear to be dark, bottomless, tunnels through which the viewer may sense access to another universe, far removed from our own.”

KA