ROVER THOMAS (c1926 - 1998) Wild Dog Dingo Dreaming, 1996 natural earth pigments and synthetic binders on canvas signed verso; Utopia Art Sydney certificate of authenticity including progress and holding photo (scanned copy)
PROPERTY FORMERLY FROM THE COLLECTION OF DR MICHAEL & MRS PATRICIA BERNARD, MELBOURNE ROVER THOMAS (JULAMA) (c1926-1998) Claypan at Bedford Downs 1984 synthetic polymer paint on board 60.0 x 90.5 cm; 76.5 x 106.5 cm (framed) bears inscription on backing verso: ROVER THOMAS/ CLAYPAN BEDFORD/ TURKEY CREEK/ 1985 accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings, Melbourne
Rover Thomasâ style is unique in the way that he simultaneously represents aerial and lateral perspectives on landscape. These two viewpoints enable the observer to see the country as one entity (the division between earth and sky having been regarded by the artist as erroneous). Thomas worked as a jackaroo on the Canning Stock Route, and later on cattle stations situated on the fringes of the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts before he began painting in 1981. In this work, he depicted the hills on Bedford Station where, according to oral history, Aboriginal people were killed after being poisoned with strychnine added to their food by station owner Paddy Quilty and his men in 1924. Only one man, Major, escaped to tell the tale by climbing Bedford Hill. Major went on to become a notorious bushranger who sought retribution until he was ambushed and killed a year later.
Acclaimed as a cultural leader and the seminal figure in establishing the East Kimberley School, Rover Thomas holds a primary place in the history of the Indigenous art movement. Rover settled at Warmun in 1973, the year before Cyclone Tracy laid waste to Darwin. On the morning of Christmas Eve 1974, the cyclone moved directly over Darwin with wind gusts reaching 240 kilometres per hour. Ninety percent of homes were destroyed or badly damaged, and over sixty-five lives were lost. It was the inspiration for this striking and dramatic work. The fearsome winds started from the direction of Darwin harbour, flattened all buildings and trees in the city, moved across the Kimberley's and finally ran out at Port Headland on the West Australian coast. Willy Willy, as the title suggests, depicts a spiralling dust storm which devastated Darwin, in 1974, a striking force sucking up everything in its path. Rover Thomas died on April 11, 1998, and was posthumously awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Western Australia. The power of his work is reflected in the attention it commanded over his twenty-year career. Since his first exhibition in 1987, there has been a constant demand for his paintings, which are now represented in all major galleries in Australia. He is recognised as one of the most important figures in contemporary Indigenous Art. His legacy is a substantial body of significant paintings which provide an enduring, unique, insight into the spiritual landscape of the Kimberley region and the human relationships and events within it.
In this work Rover depicts a lightning bolt that accompanied the storms of Cyclone Tracy, which devastated Darwin, NT in 1974, as a striking black force. Louis Nowra has written of Thomas that his 'use of blackness takes on an iconic power'. In his 1991 painting Cyclone Tracy he notes that 'The cyclone is blackness personified [...] rarely has black been used so powerfully. [...] throughout his career Thomas's use of black is so singular, so flamboyant...'
Pompey's Pillar lies close by the Warmun community at Turkey Creek and is a prominent landmark along the road to Kununurra. This is the home of the legendary Bat (Pangkalji) and Blue-tongued Lizard (Lumuku) who are mentioned in the verses of the Krill Krill ceremony that was devised by the artist. After killing a crocodile at a spring at Mt. Evelyn the little fruit bat hid in a cave to elude his pursuers and sought refuge at Pompey's Pillar. Rover Thomasâ style is unique in the way that he simultaneously represents aerial and lateral perspectives on landscape. These two viewpoints enable the observer to see the country as one entity.
Rover (Julama) Thomas 1926-1998 Untitled 1989, signed verso, acquired from Sotheby's Paddington, Australia in 1996, and thence by descent, Private Collection, New York, NY
Rover (Julama) Thomas 1926-1998 Gowarri Dreaming Natural earth pigments on canvas 1989, Lawsons, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, September 1994, Lot No. 107; acquired in 1994, Richard Kelton Collection, Santa Monica
After working in his youth as a jackaroo on the Canning Stock Route, Rover Thomas worked in the Northern Territory and the fringes of the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts. He was a stockman on Bow River Station, Texas Downs, Old Lissadell, and Mabel Downs adjacent to the Warmun community at Turkey Creek where he settled in his later years and became an artist. In this work, he depicted the vast, usually dry, salt-lake system known as Lake Dora near Punmu, his birthplace. When good rains come, the area teems with wildlife and Desert Oaks, the largest beautiful shady trees in this desert region which dot the high-water line.
Circa 1986 Important rare early ochre on board with with exceptional provenance (Mary Macha) and accompanied by letter from previous NGA Indigenous Curator- Wally Caruana 61cm x 45.5cm
"Texas Downs" Ochre on canvas, inscribed verso 'Waringarri Aboriginal Arts, 40 x 60cm. Provenance: Certifcate of Authenticity: Aboriginal Arts Enterprise, May 1988, purchased from Waringarri Arts (with book).
Rover Thomas (Joolama) b.c. 1926 - 1998 Lake Gregory 1996 Earth pigments and binder on canvas Painting depicts Lake Gregory or Billinuna in the Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia, and the home of the Rainbow Serpent, who lives under the water. Painted in Warmun, Kimberley, Western Australia. Cmes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Neil McLeod date 16/6/96. Signed verso "Rover".
Rover Thomas (Joolama) b.c. 1926-1998 Bedford Hills 1996 Earth pigments and binder on canvas The artist has painted the curved hills at Bedford Station where he was a stockman for many years. The brown colour represents the dry earth. Painted in Warmun, Kimberley, Western Australia in 1996. Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Neil McLeod dated 16/6/96. Signed verso "Rover".
Rover Thomas (circa 1926-1998) Punmu Salt Lake, 1996 inscribed verso: 'rover Thomas / AP 0958' natural earth pigments and synthetic binder on linen 90.0 x 120.0cm (35 7/16 x 47 1/4in).
ROVER THOMAS (JULAMA) (c1926-1998) Kukatja/Wangkajunga language group Lally Creek, Texas Downs 1991 natural earth pigments on canvas 60.0 x 100.0 cm dated and inscribed verso: 1991/ LALLY CREEK/ TEXAS DOWNS/ LALLY CREEK 1991
Rover Thomas was born in the Warburton Ranges south of the Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia. He spent most of his life in the Kimberley region where he worked as a stockman after being taken from Balgo Hills as a 12 year old child. He moved to Turkey Creek in 1975 and shortly thereafter had a major revelation as the result of the accidental death of a female relative in the Darwin Cyclone. The visitation by the spirit of the dead woman transformed his life and the art of the region. He began exhibiting in 1987 and is represented in the collections of all major Australian galleries. His work has been shown in exhibitions throughout the world including the Venice Biennale. This screen print was produced during a workshop that was organised by Adrian Newstead and Studio One and was conducted in the Warmun community at Turkey Creek from the 12th till the 26th of April in 1995.
Rover Thomas (circa 1926-1998) Rover's Country (hills, creeks and rock hole), 1990 natural earth pigments and gum on canvas 90.0 x 180.0cm (35 7/16 x 70 7/8in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Rover Thomas (circa 1926-1998) Barramundi Dreaming, c.1985 natural earth pigments and gum on plywood tea chest lid 48.0 x 58.0cm (18 7/8 x 22 13/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Rover (Julama) Thomas 1926-1998 Gowarri Dreaming Natural earth pigments on canvas 1989; Lawsons, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, September 1994, Lot No. 107; acquired in 1994; Richard Kelton Collection, Santa Monica
ROVER (JULAMA) THOMAS (1926-1998) Wurritji Country 1996 etching, ed. 10/99 editioned, titled and signed in pencil below image 48.5 x 64cm (image) PROVENANCE: Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs The Kelton Foundation, United States of America, acquired 1997 OTHER NOTES: Printed in 1996 for Waringarri Arts at the Casuarina campus of Charles Darwin University, Darwin, cat. no. PM75
61 x 122 cm, 74 x 135 cm (framed) Rover Thomasâ style is unique in the way that he simultaneously represents aerial and lateral perspectives on landscape. These two viewpoints enable the observer to see the country as one entity (the division between earth and sky was regarded by the artist as erroneous). After working for a period as a jackaroo on the Canning Stock Route, Rover became a fencing contractor in Wyndham and later worked as a stockman in the Northern Territory. Returning to Western Australia, he worked on several cattle stations situated on the fringes of the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts including Bow River Station where he was married for the first time, and later at Texas Downs, Old Lissadell, and Mabel Downs adjacent to the Warmun community at Turkey Creek where he settled in his later years. In this work, Rover has depicted the hills on Bedford Station where he worked as a stockman and where, according to oral history, Aboriginal people were killed after being poisoned with strychnine added to their food by station owner Paddy Quilty and his men in 1924. Only one man escaped to tell the tale by climbing Bedford Hill. He went on to be recognised as Major, a notorious bushranger who sought retribution until he was ambushed and killed a year later.
98 x 61.5 cm, 102 x 65.5 cm (framed) In this painting Rover depicts the Mook Mook Owl and her young at a place called Tunnel Creek at the Blue Tongue Lizard Dreaming site near the Argyle mine turnoff. The black circle represents a cave and the arch represents its entrance. The Spotted Nightjar and the Owlet Nightjar who in human form created the moieties and the rules of marriage, and other cultural practices are two of the most important totemic beings in the Kimberley region in the North West of Australia. They are associated with Wandjina beings known as Wanalirri, and through the Wunan exchange ceremonial cycle which the owls created, spread affiliation with the Wandjina to the tribes of the East Kimberley. The Wanalirri song cycle composed about 1972 by the Worora elder, Wattie Ngerdu, relates a battle between the Wandjina and humans over the treatment of the owls by children. The ensuing battle is believed to have come close to resulting in the destruction of the human race. The Ancestral Owl, which goes by a number of names, including Mook Mook, is one of the few subjects that the Rover Thomas rendered in a naturalistic fashion in his paintings.
90 x 60 cm, 95 x 64.5 cm (framed) Rover Thomas lived a traditional bush life with his family at Well 33 until he moved, at 10 years of age, with his family to Billiluna Station, where he was initiated, after his motherâs death. After working for a period as a jackeroo on the Canning Stock Route he became a fencing contractor in Wyndham and later worked as a stockman in the Northern Territory and the fringes of the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts. He settled and began painting in the Warmun community at Turkey Creek, in his later years. While Roverâs artworks can generally be characterised as map-like depictions of country executed with ochre in a graphic Kimberley style, they generally carry historic and social connotations. In this emblematic work the black line does symbolise a bitumen road, however the section in chocolate brown ochre is surrounded by a line delineated by white dots and represents the unbroken ancestral connection and continuity of Kimberley culture through this country. The entire painting is surrounded by a tracery of white dots unifying the country and bringing the culture to life as in ceremony. Images of roads meeting became an enduring theme throughout Roverâs painting career and can be interpreted as the artistâs belief that both black and white can live, reconciled and in harmony.
ROVER (JULAMA) THOMAS (1926-1998) RIVER LULLEE CREEK Dreamtime Gallery certificate of authenticity accompanies this artwork Ochres on canvas board 35.5 x 45.7cm $5,000/8,000
§ ROVER THOMAS (c.1926-1998) Crossroads etching, ed. 22/99 editioned, titled and signed in pencil below image 49 x 49cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, Melbourne Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 9 June 2011, lot 3157 Private collection, Melbourne
ROVER (JULAMA) THOMAS (CIRCA 1926-1998) Old Bedford Station, circa 1985 natural earth pigments on board inscribed, titled and dated verso: ROVER CIRCA 1985 OLD BEDFORD STATION CAVES WHERE BLACKFELLOWS HID FROM THE POLICE certificate of authenticity accompanies this lot 110cm x 206cm PROVENANCE Neil McLeod Fine Arts Studio
ROVER (JULAMA) THOMAS (CIRCA 1926-1998) Seed Carrying Vessel Circa 1995 natural earth ochres on wood a certificate of authenticity accompany's this lot 56.5cm high, 17.5cm wide, 8cm deep PROVENANCE Neil McLeod Fine Arts Studio
ROVER (JULAMA) THOMAS (CIRCA 1926-1998) Seed Carrying Vessel Circa 1995 natural earth ochres on wood a certificate of authenticity accompany's this lot 61.5cm high, 10.5cm wide, 8.5cm deep PROVENANCE Neil McLeod Fine Arts Studio
Cooee Art Indigenous Fine Art Auction "Rover Thomas was born in Walmatjarri-Kukaja country near Well 33 on the Canning Stock Route. He lived a traditional bush life until he was taken to Billiluna Station at 11 years of age, where he was initiated after his mother's death. Rover subsequently spent a lifetime travelling the stock routes of Australia+IBk-s far North. After working for a period as a jackeroo on the Canning Stock Route, he became a fencing contractor in Wyndham and later worked as a stockman in the Northern Territory and the fringes of the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts. He worked on Bow River Station and later Texas Downs, where he lived for nine years and met his second wife Rita. He finally settled at nearby Turkey Creek, where he became an artist in the late 1970s at 50 years of age. In time, he was acclaimed as a cultural leader and the seminal figure in establishing the East Kimberley painting movement. This work was painted in 1985, relatively early in Rover Thomas' painting career. That year, he created a number of planar, map-like paintings, referring to sites and pathways of ancestral or historical significance and his own travels during his days as a drover on cattle stations in the region. The painting is an aerial view of Texas Downs, located north east of Warmun (Turkey Creek). " Contact Cooee Art for more information on this Aboriginal artwork.
