OLD MICK WALLANKARRI TJAKAMARRA

Painted at Papunya in February 1974
Sotheby's, Contemporary Art, Melbourne, 2 October 1994, lot 99
Private collection, Melbourne

The painted surface area appears stable and in very good condition. There are slight chips to the corners of the board, but these do not detract from the overall work. The painting is housed in a timber box frame. There is some white paint or pigment along the lower right hand edge which is evident in the catalogue reproduction, on the red coloured area. This appears to have occurred later.
"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."

Cf. For a stylistically similar painting see Honey Ant Dreaming, 1973, in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, in Maughan, J. and J. Zimmer (eds.), Dot and Circle: A retrospective survey of the Aboriginal acrylic paintings of Central Australia, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, 1986, p.72, plate 9, illus; see also Woman's Dreaming at Narwietooma, 1971, in Bardon, G. and J. Bardon, Papunya, A Place Made After the Story: The Beginnings of the Western Desert Painting Movement, The Miegunyah Press, Melbourne, 2004, p.365, painting 314, illus 

This painting is sold with its original Papunya Tula Artists cataloguing card with an annotated diagram and descriptive notations that read in part: 'This is a women's place. They hold their separate corroboree here with dancing and drawing in the sand. The varied background shows bush tuckers - wild tomato, a grass whose seed is made into damper and others.'

The annotated diagram identifies the site as Yalukuru in the Ilpili area (possibly further west).