17-263 (2017)
Acrylic on Linen
225 x 300cm | 88.58 x 118.11in
Spinifex Artists
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Myrtle is a senior Spinifex woman who was born in the Great Victoria Desert and grew up with her small family group. Myrtle was born at Kanpa and it is this place that she has traditional ties to and custodianship over.
In the 1950's during the British Nuclear testing program Myrtle and her small family group witnessed the "great black cloud" and were forced to move further to the south west away from the "poison." The country was also at the time in the grip of a drought and Myrtle like most of the Spinifex people moved to Cundeelee Mission. Still living a mainly traditional life but introduced to western food rations Myrtle first saw white people, put on clothes and saw the Trans Continental railway line to the south where many desert people had travelled to for food rations.
Myrtle is a highly knowledgable desert woman who lives at Tjuntjuntjara, back in traditional Spinifex country. She has been an invaluable member of the Spinifex Arts Project since 1997 keenly participating in both collaborative works and solo works where she paints her "ngura" (homelands).
Myrtle is a senior Spinifex woman who was born in the Great Victoria Desert and grew up with her small family group. Myrtle was born at Kanpa and it is this place that she has traditional ties to and custodianship over.
In the 1950's during the British Nuclear testing program Myrtle and her small family group witnessed the "great black cloud" and were forced to move further to the south west away from the "poison." The country was also at the time in the grip of a drought and Myrtle like most of the Spinifex people moved to Cundeelee Mission. Still living a mainly traditional life but introduced to western food rations Myrtle first saw white people, put on clothes and saw the Trans Continental railway line to the south where many desert people had travelled to for food rations.
Myrtle is a highly knowledgable desert woman who lives at Tjuntjuntjara, back in traditional Spinifex country. She has been an invaluable member of the Spinifex Arts Project since 1997 keenly participating in both collaborative works and solo works where she paints her "ngura" (homelands).