MB032482
Atnwelarre (Pencil Yam) and Kame (Seed) MB032482-Greeny Purvis Petyarre
Greeny Purvis Petyarre
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1930
Deceased:2010
Language Group:Anmatyerre
Country:Alhalkere, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas and Linen
Subjects:Atnwelarre (Pencil Yam) and Kame (Seed), Emu and Kangaroo Dreaming, Men's Story
Greeny Purvis Petyarre, apart from being a very high ranking tribal elder in Utopia, was also the nephew of the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye. His father, Alhalkere Jack, Lindsay Bird's mother and Emily are all blood brothers and sisters. Greeny was married to Kathleen Kemarre and had four daughters.
Greeny's paintings, usually Yam Seed Dreamings, are highly sought after by collectors and galleries throughout the world. Very rarely did he digress from the basic colours, and he painted with the use of lines, medium size dots and very small dots. On occasion he had been known to use very large, splash type dot work during a period of collaborations with Emily Kame Kngwarreye (Greeny being the eldest nephew).
The colours usually indicate different stages, seasons or time e.g. Yam Seed Dreaming - before germinating, after germinating, when bearing fruit and sometimes after it has borne fruit. His paintings appeared to reflect his unpretentious personality - quietly unassuming but with that feeling of endurance and respect.
Atnwelarre, the Pencil Yam, and Kame, the seed of this plant, are the subject of Greeny's painting. The Atnwelarre is a trailing herb or creeper, sometimes covering large areas, with bright green leaves, yellow flowers and long skinny yams (swollen roots). These are an important food source which can be eaten raw or cooked in hot sand and ashes.
In the Dreamtime there are two parts to the Kame story. Two different seeds were born that created two different species of Pencil Yam, one called Atnwelarre which belongs to Greeny's country, and the other called Arlatyeye which belongs to Arnumarra country.
MB032482