We Are Always Making Something From What We Have
11 may
1/3 Vickers Street
Parap
SOFT SCULPTURES
“Always in our hands we are making from what we have around us.
When we were little playing we found the stuff from everywhere and we made so many toys. Now we are artists we do the same with the blankets and pretty wool our friends send us.
When we go home we might make a place to sit quietly or we throw the leftover food for the birds so we have birds for company.
Whatever we have, we make something: a good place, a home for our grandkids, a bush toy and art.”
Alice Springs based art centres Yarrenyty Arltere and Tangentyere Artists collaborate on a new exhibition at Salon Project Space.
Childhood memories of making and playing with bush toys inform a new series of whimsical soft sculptures from Yarrenyty Arltere. Tangentyere painters Grace Robinya and Sally Mulda are joined by emerging artists reflecting on stories of family and country. Artworks explore contemporary issues affecting people living in town camps today.
IMAGE: Rhonda Sharpe, Tin Can Telephones, 2019, photograph by Fiona Morrison
Rosabella Ryder
Cornelius Ebatarinja
Roxanne Oliver
Trudy Inkamala
Louise Robertson
Beth Ebatarinja
Rhonda Sharpe
Marlene Rubuntja
Dulcie Sharpe
Roxanne Petrick
Roxanne Oliver
Rhonda Sharpe
Patricia Nelson
Maggie Nakamarra Corby
Eileen Womberra Mbitjana
yarrenyty arltere – soft sculpture
Roxanne Petrick
2019, soft sculptures
65 x 27 x 23 cm
Cat No. 25-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
I had to keep taking it off Jacob but now it’s a sculpture. I did alot of stitching to make it so colourful.
Rosabella Ryder
2019, soft sculptures
37 x 90 x 15 cm
Cat No. 27-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Rosabella Ryder
2019, soft sculptures
99 x 27 x 16 cm
Cat No. 24-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
This is what we made as kids. Tins cans and wire and then push it along.
Rhonda Sharpe
2019, soft sculptures
30 x 30 x 12 cm
Cat No. 29-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
If you pull these tight you can hear the person talking. Even after I stitched them all over. We did this when we were little, talking through old tin cans, but not with the sewing on it!
Rhonda Sharpe
2019, soft sculptures
30 x 30 x 5 cm
Cat No. 35-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
We didn't make tin can telephones this small when we played as kids. But for sewing I thought I would use tuna tins, for something different.
Rhonda Sharpe
2019, soft sculptures
30 x 30 x 12 cm
Cat No. 34-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
If you pull these tight you can hear the person talking. Even after I stitched them all over. We did this when we were little, talking through old tin cans, but not with the sewing on it!
Louise Robertson
2019, soft sculptures
25 x 26 x 4 cm
Cat No. 23-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Before they used to make a rattle for baby's with grass. Now I made it with sewing.
Cornelius Ebatarinja
2019, soft sculptures
54 x 25 x 12 cm
Cat No. 20-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Watching my wife Roxanne make roosters gave me the idea to do it too.
Roxanne Oliver
2019, soft sculptures
120 x 37 x 12 cm
Cat No. 26-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Trudy Inkamala
2019, soft sculptures
97 x 60 x 27 cm
Cat No. 22-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
With tin cans on my feet I used to make that sound like I was a horse. Then I would make a toy horse with grass and a stick.
Trudy Inkamala
2019, soft sculptures
55 x 18 x 10 cm
Cat No. 28-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
We used to do this with the tin cans. Take them and put wire and push them all day long.
Marlene Rubuntja
2019, soft sculptures
40 x 30 x 35 cm
Cat No. 3-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
This looks like I used big paint brushes to make the colour all over. But it is me doing sewing. Thinking I am like a painter with my needle. I think about my sewing all the time and how to make my stories come out through my sewing. Like this bird would make so ave it in your garden so you can have it your house instead!
Roxanne Oliver
2019, soft sculptures
123 x 36 cm
Cat No. 33-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
My kids still play with these. But better watch out, they can be dangerous.
Marlene Rubuntja
2019, soft sculptures
40 x 30 x 35 cm
Cat No. 21-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
This woman is covered in bush flowers. She is playing with old cotton reels. That is a game I played when i was a child. Now I can make it with my sewing. She is happy with her arms out wide.
Beth Ebatarinja
2019, soft sculptures
35 x 13 x 6 cm
Cat No. 31-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Dulcie Sharpe
2019, soft sculptures
62 x 27 x 12 cm
Cat No. 19-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
I change my hair colour sometimes. Just for fun.
Beth Ebatarinja
2019, soft sculptures
43 x 37 x 11 cm
Cat No. 16-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Two bush dolls made with bottles inside. with a baby and some food for the family.
Dulcie Sharpe
2019, soft sculptures
25 x 14 x 13 cm
Cat No. 17-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Little cut out dolls but I made them with wire.
Dulcie Sharpe
2019, soft sculptures
28 x 40 x 13 cm
Cat No. 18-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
We use wire to make dolls, and paper cut outs. That's how I remember when I was little.
Dulcie Sharpe
2019, soft sculptures
44 x 24 x 3 cm
Cat No. 30-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Patricia Nelson
2018, soft sculpture
34 x 12 x 7 cm
Cat No. 182-18
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Trudy Inkamala
2018, soft sculpture
25 x 23 x 5 cm
Cat No. 206-18
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Marlene Rubuntja
2018, soft sculpture
35 x 20 x 11 cm
Cat No. 173-18
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Dulcie Sharpe
2018, soft sculpture
21 x 19 x 7 cm
Cat No. 195-18
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Rosabella Ryder
2018, soft sculpture
29 x 11 x 8 cm
Cat No. 183-18
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
tangentyere artists – paintings
Sally Mulda
2019, acrylic on linen
41 x 51 cm
Cat No. 9901-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
This painting is about policeman looking around at night for people drinking, between the Todd River and Abbott’s Town Camp.
Sally Mulda
2018, acrylic on linen
90 x 177 cm
Cat No. 8857-18
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
This one man buy grog at shop. Policeman follow him home. When he get there, policeman taking all that grog from his car. Green cans. Two man walking from that car to their house. No more beer.
Papa [dogs] all drinking from water tap. It’s hot day. Family come home from town – Coles – shopping. Other family sitting by fire. Cooking up big feed. Sitting on blanket eating that one. Papa wants some too – can smell tucker. Sneaking. Tjitji give papa food. Always do.
We all see police come. Every day, 2 o’clock come to Abbott’s Camp looking for grog. Follow those cars. He always doing that. We sing out ‘policeman coming’ all the time. Policeman just take that grog - don’t talk to us – family just watch. See him all the time. Everyone with grog try to hide him, but too hard. This one Abbott’s Camp, but anywhere… everywhere.
– SALLY MULDA
This painting was accepted as a Telstra NATSIAA Finalist, 2018.
Sally Mulda
2019, acrylic on linen
41 x 51 cm
Cat No. 9853-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Sally Mulda
2018, acrylic on linen
40 x 75 cm
Cat No. 9247-18
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
This painting is about women sitting in the shade of a tree, playing cards in the yard of Sally’s house at Abbott’s Town Camp.
Sally Mulda
2019, acrylic on linen
40 x 51 cm
Cat No. 9911-19
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Two women cooking tail and family’s going with tail.
Eileen Womberra Mbitjana
2018, acrylic on linen
56 x 56 cm
Cat No. 9635-18
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Akalparre, Eileen’s Father’s Country, south and a little west of Barrow Creek. Akalparre is the heartland of Kaytetye culture and language, and Eileen is a senior Law woman for the Kaytetye community, fluent in the language. Ankweleyelengkwe is strongly associated with the Bush Plum, a name used for two species, Ahakeye and Nkwerleye. Here Eileen has painted the Bush Plum trees and the waterholes in the area that are so essential for life.
Eileen Womberra Mbitjana
2018, acrylic on linen
89 x 150 cm
Cat No. 9698-18
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Akalparre, Eileen’s Father’s Country, south and a little west of Barrow Creek. Akalparre is the heartland of Kaytetye culture and language, and Eileen is a senior Law woman for the Kaytetye community, fluent in the language. Ankweleyelengkwe is strongly associated with the Bush Plum, a name used for two species, Ahakeye and Nkwerleye. Here Eileen has painted the Bush Plum trees and the waterholes in the area that are so essential for life.
Eileen Womberra Mbitjana
2018, acrylic on linen
40 x 121 cm
Cat No. 9652-18
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
Akalparre, Eileen’s Father’s Country, south and a little west of Barrow Creek. Akalparre is the heartland of Kaytetye culture and language, and Eileen is a senior Law woman for the Kaytetye community, fluent in the language. Ankweleyelengkwe is strongly associated with the Bush Plum, a name used for two species, Ahakeye and Nkwerleye. Here Eileen has painted the Bush Plum trees and the waterholes in the area that are so essential for life.
Maggie Nakamarra Corby
2018, acrylic on linen
57 x 61 cm
Cat No. 9685-18
We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists
This painting is about Ilpili in the Ehrenberg Ranges east of Kintore. That's my father's country. There is a big Tjukurrpa there for Rain and Lightning. That's my country, where I grew up. The Tjukurrpa is called Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kalipinypa a sacred site northwest of the Aboriginal Community of Kintore in the Central Western Desert of Australia. The Tjukurrpa tells of an important rain making ceremony to invoke the elements. It is a powerful storm bringing on the lightning, thunderclouds and rain sending its deluge to rejuvenate the earth, filling rock holes, clay pans and creeks. It has the power to create new life and growth upon the land. There is a lightning strike at this place.
The different elements of the image represent puuli (hills), tali (sandhills) and kapi (water). Plants and leaves springs up after the heavy rain, nourishing the land and the people. The white heron frequents the site. The painting also represents the potential dryness of the kapi tjukitji (waterhole) at Kalipinypa, when times are very tough for all living things. The custodians for this tjukurrpa are Nakamarra, Tjakamarra, Naparula and Tjaparulla skin subsections.
Roxanne Petrick
2019, soft sculptures
105 x 80 x 45 cm
Cat No. 32-19
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We Are Always Making Something From What We Have, 2019
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists & Tangentyere Artists