Boomalli and Self-Determined Identity

This week we introduce a new project from the Kluge-Ruhe made in collaboration with UVA Press. Curator Henry Skerritt dives into the history of the Papunya Tula Artists — a movement started in Northern Australia that is now celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Kluge-Ruhe’s current exhibit and launch of their new project both serve as a tribute to the Papunya Tula Artists who changed the face of global contemporary art.  Learn more about Papunya Tula: https://kluge-ruhe.org/exhibition/irrititja-kuwarri-tjungu-past-present-together-50-years-papunya-tula-artists/

Artist Marrnyula Mununggurr is well renowned in the Yonglu community for her warmth and creative genius. Her work will finally go on display in the United States this September with the the opening of “MAḎAYIN: Eight decades Aboriginial Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala.” Mary Garner McGehee spoke with Kluge-Ruhe curator Henry Skerritt to get an inside look on Marrnyula’s work and creative process. Learn more about MAḎAYIN: https://madayin.kluge-ruhe.org

Artist Djambawa Marawili came up with the idea for the exhibition "MAḎAYIN, Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala" over six years ago. Soon his vision will become reality when MAḎAYIN opens at the Hood Museum at Dartmouth in September. In this episode, Kluge-Ruhe curator Henry Skerritt introduces us to Djambawa Marawili and tells us the story of the birth of MAḎAYIN.  Learn more about MAḎAYIN: https://madayin.kluge-ruhe.org

https://kluge-ruhe.org/exhibition/boomalli-prints-paper-making-space-art-collective/

https://kluge-ruhe.org/exhibition/boomalli-prints-paper-making-space-art-collective/

https://kluge-ruhe.org/exhibition/boomalli-prints-paper-making-space-art-collective/

https://kluge-ruhe.org/exhibition/boomalli-prints-paper-making-space-art-collective/

As a collective, Boomalli helped to promote the idea of urban Aboriginal art. However, the ten artists had distinctive artistic and personal identities. The work in this exhibition cuts across multiple generations, sexual orientations, and language groups to defy both cultural and artistic expectations. The inclusive environment of Boomalli created a space for these identities to intersect. The spark lit by the founding members of Boomalli transformed what Aboriginal art could be, igniting a movement that spread across Australia. Read more and make a free reservation: kluge-ruhe.org/exhibition/boomal…e-art-collective/

New Series alert!  The next few episodes in your feed will feature the new exhibit “Boomalli Prints and Paper: Making Space as an Art Collective.” In this episode we introduce the collective and the exhibit. Read more and make a free reservation: https://kluge-ruhe.org/exhibition/boomalli-prints-paper-making-space-art-collective

Human figures, stenciled hands, and ancestral beings gather on the surface of this painting in a dynamic circle of ceremonial activity. Thompson Yulidjirri’s _Ngurlmarrk—The Ubarr Ceremony _is a work on paper crafted by the late artist as part of the John W. Kluge Commission of works on paper in 1991-1992 from Injalak Arts & Crafts Association. Yulidjirri's multimedia expertise across rock, bark, and paper is evident here in his depiction of the Ubarr Ceremony, as the patterned background resembles the rock walls of nearby Injalak Hill. Visualizing connections across media and time, Yulidjirri’s painting attests to the role art plays in evoking and transferring stories and knowledge to the next generation of artists and audiences. Thompson Yulidjirri,  Ngurlmarrk—The Ubarr Ceremony 1990 Natural pigments on paper 150 x 100 cm Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection