Peggy Napangardi Jones

Peggy Napangardi Jones or Peggy Jones (1951 – 20 August 2014) was a Warlpiri/ Warumungu woman born at Phillip Creek Station near Tennant Creek.[1] She was a significant Australian Aboriginal artist who had 10 solo shows and approximately 50 group exhibitions. She was also selected in the Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards[2] and acquired by many national and international collections.[3][4]

Life and painting

Jones was born at Phillip Creek Station to a Warlpiri mother and a Warumungu father and, from them, she inherited dreamtime stories and laws; these form her inspiration to paint.[1] In her early years her family walked from Phillip Creek Station to Brunchilly Station, where her mother worked as a servant and her father was mostly absent, and, for most of her early life, they travelled between here and Banka Banka Station. This continued until, as a young woman, the family travelled to Alekerenge (also known as Ali Curung) where she met and married a Warumungu man. Following their marriage, in 1970, the couple moved to Tennant Creek, where they lived at village camp, where their 3 children (Wayne, Jessica and Joshua) were born.[5][6]

Jones was introduced to acrylic painting on canvas in 1996 at a Julalikara CDEP Women's Arts and Craft program at the 'Pink Palace' (Julalikari Arts) in Tennant Creek.[1] Her first paintings were in the classic 'dot and circle' style[3] and relate strongly to her country; soakages, wells, bush tucker, animals and birds. Jones works are highly coloured and have ostensibly loose compositions but their colours and strengths make them strong, fresh and vibrant.[7]

Throughout her career Jones had various residencies at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education and Northern Territory University, now Charles Darwin University[3] and, at these, she learnt to work with a variety of mediums including silk painting, ceramics and lino block printing.[7]

Jones work is held in many important collections and major institutions including:

Jones, who called herself "the artist of all time",[3] was represented by the Alcaston Gallery in Melbourne throughout her career[8] until her retirement in 2011.[1]

Jones died on 20 August 2014.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Peggy Napangardi Jones (1951-2014)". Alcaston Gallety.
  2. ^ "Peggy Jones". Nomad Art. 12 January 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "About". NYINKKA NYUNYU. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  4. ^ Jones, Peggy. "Nappangarti". Item held by National Gallery of Australia. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Peggy Napangardi Jones' painting 'Snake' from the Tennant Creek area in the Northern Territory. Palya Art 1151HR". Palya Art. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Alison Alder - Kujjura Mampaly Nyirrila (Two Together)". alisonalder.com. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  7. ^ a b "THE ART SCENE". www.artplan.com.au. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  8. ^ Knight, Beverly (2016). "Peggy Napangardi Jones 2016". Alcaston Gallery.
  9. ^ "Peggy Napangardi Jones | Artists | NGV". www.ngv.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 7 March 2020.