Thelma Gambinya Burke, The Flying Boat That Brought Father Christmas to Mornington Island before the War, 2006 Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Artbank e-bulletin - December 2007/January 2008
Welcome to Artbank's final e-bulletin for 2007. It's a time to celebrate and to reflect on the year that's been. For Artbank, 2007 has been a power-packed year, with more works purchased than in any previous year and literally hundreds of acquisitions in all range of media. This year, as always, we've bought the works of the country’s finest sculptors, painters, photographers, glass artists and more, but for the first time have also added neon and other light works to the collection.
We're looking forward to bringing you more of the very best of contemporary Australian art in the New Year. Until then, best wishes for the season from all at Artbank.
Geoffrey Cassidy, Director
Thelma Burke's wonderful painting The Flying Boat That Brought Father Christmas to Mornington Island before the War is our feature artwork this month. As the title suggests, it depicts an event creating great excitement for Burke and her childhood companions in the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is also one of the very best examples of the exciting new work coming out of that region.
Born at Valley Station near Normanton in the Gulf's coastal Savannah District, Thelma Burke was given the name 'Gambinya', meaning Wild Potato. Her father was of the Yangaal people and her mother of the Waanyi. Although Burke arrived on Mornington Island as a baby her homeland or sense of place remains Forsythe Island, her father's country.
The ‘Art Gangs’ of the Gulf islands are rapidly gaining in popularity because of the work of artists such as Burke and Sally Gabori from Bentinck Island. It is only recently that Burke has started painting, after years of weaving and making shell necklaces. Mornington Island had no graphic tradition in pre-European contact times.
She says: 'I enjoy painting and I paint the old stories belonging to my country island. It makes me feel good to finish the painting and tell the story that I have painted ... [This] painting shows a flying boat pulled up at the old jetty. It brought Santa to visit us kids in the Mission.'
Jackie Dunn, Senior Curator
Artbank Touring Exhibition
Artbank’s national touring exhibition Artbank: Celebrating 25 Years of Australian Art will be at Geelong Gallery in Victoria from 23 November 2007 to 3 February 2008. This will be the last chance for Victorian audiences to see the exhibition before it travels to Geraldton in Western Australia, Adelaide in South Australia and Manning in New South Wales in 2008.
