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Myrtle Petyarre
Myrtle Petyarre

Myrtle Petyarre

Born:

c. 1930

Deceased:

2014

Language Group:

Anmatyerre

Country:

Atnangkere, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Medium:

Acrylic on Canvas and Linen, Batik on Silk

Subjects:

Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard) Dreaming, Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Akatyerre (Desert Raisin), Awelye (Women's Ceremony) for Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard)

Myrtle Petyarre (c.1930-2014) was an Anmatyerre artist connected to Atnangkere Country in Central Australia.

Myrtle was one of the respected Petyarre sisters, a group of talented artists who played an important role in the Utopia art movement. Alongside her sisters Ada, Gloria, Nancy, Kathleen, Violet and Jean Petyarre, she shared the Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard) Dreaming stories connected to Atnangkere and Alhalkere Country.

Myrtle was involved in the Utopia Women's Batik movement from its early beginnings in the 1970s and was featured in Utopia - A Picture Story. She later transitioned to painting on canvas through CAAMA's 1988 Summer Project.

Working in batik and acrylic on canvas and linen, Myrtle became known for her strong linear designs inspired by Awelye (women's ceremonial body paint designs), along with her depictions of Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard) and Akatyerre (Bush Tomato) stories.

The Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, WA
Mbantua Gallery Collection, Alice Springs, NT
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, NSW
University of Queensland, Anthropology Museum, St Lucia, QLD
1984
1st National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
1985
2nd National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
1986
3rd National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
1988
5th National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
1989
Utopia Women's Paintings, the first Works on Canvas, A Summer Project, 1988-1989, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, NSW
1990
Utopia - A Picture Story, an Exhibition of 88 works on Silk by Utopian artists, Holmes à Court Collection, toured Eire and Scotland
1991
8th National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
1992
Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
1994
Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
2001
Mountain Devil Lizard, Arnkerrthe - Myrtle, Nancy and Violet Petyarre, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT
2001
Seven Sisters Petyarre, Brisbane City Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
2002
Seven Sisters, Chrissie Cotter Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2002-2004
Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions
2004-2006
Evolution of Utopia - opened by the Honorable Robert Hill, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT
2005
Small Wonders, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT
Brody, A.
(1989) Utopia Women's Paintings The First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project 1988-89, exhib.cat., Heytesbury Holdings, Perth, WA
Brody, A.
(1990) Utopia: a Picture Story, 88 Silk Batiks from the Robert Holmes à Court Collection, Heytesbury Holdings, Perth, WA
Desart
(2000) The Aboriginal Art Centres of Central Australia, Putting in the Colour - Contemporary Aboriginal Textiles, Jukurrpa Books (IAD Press) ©

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