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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 was one of the famous 'Petyarre Sister', sister of Ada, Gloria, Nancy, Kathleen, Violet and Jean Petyarre. Like her sisters, Myrtle painted the Mountain Devil Lizard, or Arnkerrthe, which was one of the dreamings from Atnangkere and Alhalkere country.

She was involved with the Utopia Women's Batik group since its inception in the early 1970s. Her work was featured in 'A Picture Story', a project initiated by CAAMA in the late 1980s. Myrtle began painting on canvas in 1988 as part of CAAMA's Summer Project.

She was known for her bold linear patterns, which illustrated body paint designs for the Mountain Devil Lizard Story.

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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