Gurtha
2012
- Medium
- earth pigments on Stringbark (Eucalyptus sp.)
- Measurements
- 211.5 × 79.8 cm
- Place/s of Execution
- Yirrkala, Northern Territory
- Accession Number
- 2013.577
- Department
- First Nations Australia
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Judith and Leon Gorr, 2013
© The Estate of Barrupu Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre, Yirrkala
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Vizard Foundation - Gallery location
- Gallery 2
Ground Level, NGV Australia - About this work
-
Barrupu represents the Gumatj miny’tji (sacred design) that embodies gurtha (fire). The Gumatj language, Dhuwalandja, is itself known as the tongue of flame and is believed to incinerate dishonesty. Early bark paintings by Yolŋu men often show this diamond pattern as ordered and tight. These works by Barrupu, however, are characterised by the artist’s spontaneity and gesture. Horizontal and vertical lines represent different intensities of flame, smoke and ash. Barrupu shows the fire in a macro view, close-up and intense, stressing its importance to the Gumatj people. Since her passing, Barrupu has been known as ‘fire lady’, recognising her connection to gurtha and her experimental aesthetic that pushed the design in new directions.