Rover Thomas (Joolama)

Painted during a print making workshop hosted at the Northern Territory University (now Charles Darwin University), Darwin on April 20, 1995

Franck Gohier, Darwin, acquired from the artist at the above workshop in April, 1995

Kevin Kelly, Red Rock Art, Kununurra, acquired in 1999 (catalogue number KP640)

Private Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above in 2000

Redbutte Country, Texas Downs, is a fine example of Rover Thomas’ intuitive sense of form and line. It displays a type of bravura associated with his best work where shapes are drawn with the immediacy and confidence of a master. Characteristically, Thomas presents the viewer with an ambiguous view of the landscape: while the red line in the painting describes a path around Redbutte, the hill appears to be depicted in profile. A related, earlier painting, Country called Red Butte, 1984, in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, presents a similar visual dilemma.¹

A sheet of paper adhered to the reverse of the canvas reads:

“This painting is Redbutt (sic) country at “TEXAS DOWNS” cattle station. The [Aboriginal people] used to muster the kangaroos’ up this hill. At this point there is a cliff where the kangaroos’ would be herded over the top. When they fell to their death the [Aboriginal people] at the bottom would collect them for tucker. Rover Thomas used to work there on and off during the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. VAL DIXON (the station owners daughter) recalls that they used to call ROVER THOMAS by the nickname of “ROPER THOMAS” when he worked at TEXAS DOWNS. This painting was done in Darwin N.T.U. on Thursday 20^th April 1995 while ROVER was attending a Printmaking Workshop. The red paint represents the path around the hill.”

¹ See Country called Red Butte, 1984, in Perkins, H., Tradition Today: Indigenous Art in Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2004, p. 138.