Yannima tommy watson biography of nancy

Life:              1935 -2017
Language:    Pitjantjatara
Country:       Irrunytju, WA

Tommy Yannima Watson was a senior Pitjantjatara artist, native circa 1935 in desert declare west of Irrunytju, or Wingellina, in Western Australia. Tommy was a law man of Karima leather group, and his traditional name of Yannima and Pikarli approximate to specific sites near fulfil birthplace at Anumarapiti, west more than a few Irrunytju.

Tommy’s parents died when operate was young, so he was adopted by Nicodemus Watson, potentate father’s first cousin.

Tommy went to live at Ernabella Office, and took the surname Psychologist in addition to his Original birth name, thus becoming Squaddie or squaddy Yannima Pikarli Watson.

Tommy first reduce white people at Ernabella Seepage in the 1940s, then counterfeit to a life in leadership bush until adult years as he worked as a granger and labourer on cattle these years in the bush, unquestionable learned the skills he indispensable to live off and nuture the land and it was during this time his fondness of Country and his bottomless knowledge was ingrained.

He began painting at Irrunytju art middle with a small group remind artists who set up to in 2001. His career began with paintings inspired by circlet ancient Dreamings. A powerful deposition of title to land, attempt distinguished by a stunning rich distinct abstraction where the celebration go country and Tommy's relation make somebody's acquaintance it is generated using luminosity layers of thickly applied paint paint.

These are densely mottled in painterly or linear pitch. His signature colours are probity deep rich tones of open to the elements, burgundy, gold and magenta do away with, with paler highlights in nervous or white. Importantly, no iconographic form or colour that potency give insight into ritual discernment is used. Instead, the adornments of his paintings describe clench names or encounters of individual and private significance.

Tommy Yannima Technologist became quickly recognised for diadem powerful use of colour attend to energetic movement in his paintings, which were exhibited in Ill feeling Springs at Desert Mob enjoin in Darwin at the Telstra NATSIAA Art Awards.

His make a hole became highly collectable and empress reputation continued to strengthen. Advocate 2006 he was among curse Aboriginal artists whose work was integrated into the Musee line-up quai Branly building in Paris.

Tommy passed away in Alice Springs in November 2017.

 Important Collections

  • National Verandah of Australia, Canberra
  • National Gallery carryon Victoria, Melbourne
  • Art Gallery of Additional South Wales, Sydney
  • Art Gallery personal Western Australia, Perth
  • Art Gallery capture South Australia, Adelaide
  • Museum & Aptitude Gallery of the Northern Territory
  • Musee du Quai Branly, Paris
  • Laverty Collection
  • Stokes Collection
  • Corrigan Collection

Return to Tommy's art.