Image Credit:
CLAUDE CARTER
Boolga, 2006
Acrylic on canvas
Courtesy the artist. Represented by Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency and Brigette Braun Art Dealer, Melbourne
Artbank e-bulletin - August 2007
Featured artist: Claude Carter
Western Australian Indigenous artist Claude Carter came to the attention of Artbank earlier this year during his exhibition ‘Doorloo, Jaman.ga (Heart, Stomach)’ held at the fortyfivedownstairs gallery in Melbourne.
One of the most exciting emerging artists from the west, Carter started painting seriously in 2005 and since then has been active in carrying on the traditional iconography of the Gooniyandi language group. A skin relation of renowned artist Janangoo Butcher Cherel (who was declared a ‘State Living Treasure’ by the Government of Western Australia in 2004), Artbank is fortunate to complement Cherel’s work with three stunning paintings by Carter.
Both artists work at the Mangkaja Arts Centre in Fitzroy Crossing. Carter lives at Bawoorooga, about 90 kilometres away from the town, in a small community he helped to establish that consists mostly of family members.
This painting Boolga (2006) and another by Carter, Jimilooroo at Goongaroo goorroola (2007), were recently installed in the home of a private client in Melbourne. There they join a diverse range of large works from the Artbank collection by artists such as Zhong Chen, Gunter Christmann, Akio Makaigawa and Valerie Sparks.
Carter explains that Boolga refers to ‘a tree called Old Man. It’s an important and sacred tree for Gooniyandi and Walmajarri people. It is associated with Lightning and hail storms and is men’s business. You have to be careful here.’
We look forward to seeing more works from this promising young artist.
Geoffrey Cassidy, Artbank Director, August 2007
