Body Marks, 1999
synthetic polymer paint on canvas
126.0
x 105.0
cm
with Karen Brown Gallery catalogue number EP17 (on reverse)
SOLD
Provenance
Provenance
Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Prince of Wales (Midpul) was a custodian and leader of Larrakia ceremonies, a leading didgeridoo player and a ceremonial body painter for much of his life. It is the confluence of these influences that can be found in the artist's contemporary paintings, having drawn his inspiration and imagery from the body decorations and marks used in Larrakia culture and ceremony. In Body Marks, 1999, the artist characteristically exchanges the earthy ochres of body paint for a dynamic use of primary colours. The dots and lines of the modern minimalist design also impart a lively musicality, as if to be read like the sheet music for an improvised symphony. Having passed in 2002, Prince of Wales is said to have laid the foundations for the emergence of a contemporary Larrakia Art Movement.
