Topic: Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri

[Nichi]

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YT blurb:
In the vast Western Desert of Australia, Bill Whiskey is a healer. A Ngangkari. Powerful and hugely respected.

Bill Whiskey is almost 90 and was well into his teenage years when he first met a white fella. He was born the traditional way, in a shallow hole scooped out of the red dirt in the centre of Australia.

Today, Bill Whiskey is one of Australias most successful artists. His paintings hang in museums and galleries across the world. Amazingly, he has only been painting for two years.

When Bill Whiskeys canvas is chosen to hang in Australias most prestigious Aboriginal art exhibition, his closest friends promise to take him to see it. But Bill Whiskey has never left his country. Hes never seen a city. Never seen the ocean. Bill Whiskey has never seen his paintings on a gallery wall. This documentary film is Bill Whiskeys journey to all those places.

Being out of his country Bill Whiskey is overwhelmed, fearful and homesick.

He wants to go home to his birthplace where the dots of his paintings come alive. A place hes only ever been back to once in his life.

There, That Old Man takes us into his dreaming, into his painting, into a world tens of thousands of years old.

~Blurb written before his death - his death is recorded as 2008.

[Nichi]

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[Nichi]

Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri, (1920's - 2008), was born at Pirupa Akla, country located near the Olgas and to the west of Ayers Rock. By the time he was a young man, most of Whiskey's family had passed away. Many of his people had begun moving towards Haasts Bluff mission, about 250 Kms to the north east. Whiskey joined a group of people who were about to make that journey. No one had yet seen white people, and when they arrived at the mission, the desert people were completely naked.

Whiskey, along with some of the others, decided not stay, as they were frightened when they saw white people for the first time. Their fear came from the belief that the white people were Mamu, or bad spirit people, and so the group continued to travel. They eventually arrived at an area near Areyonga, where a white missionary Pastor called Patupirri had established a camp. It was here that Whiskey and the others first tasted white man food. Whiskey tells how they would throw this strange food behind theirs backs, as they did not like its taste. Whiskey spent a little time with Patupirri before moving back to Haasts Bluff mission, where he had been told there were plenty of women. This time Whiskey stayed, and was given his first set of clothes. And it was here that he met his wife Colleen Nampitjinpa, and never returned to his home country.

Whiskey practiced as a witch doctor or traditional healer, and people would come from afar to be treated by him. While living at the Haasts Bluff mission, Whiskey took a job as cook for the contract fencers and mustering crew. He came to be called Whiskers, owing to his long white beard, and the name eventually evolved into Whiskey.

Later in life Whiskey moved to an outstation at Amunturrungu, where he still lives with his wife and their children. Whiskey began painting in 2004. The main images in his works are the Rockholes near Pirupa, Ayers Rock, and the story of his own journeys to Areyonga and Haasts Bluff. Whiskey is a very traditional man with an extremely jovial personality. The bright colours in his work are said to reflect the character of the man bold, colourful, and strong in spirit.

http://www.japingka.com.au/artist-profiles.cfm?artistID=37

(Story not completely updated since his passing...?)

[Nichi]

A death notice -

Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri - circa 1920s - 2008
Posted by Aboriginal Art Directory | 22.08.08

Author: Aboriginal Art Directory


It is with great sadness and regret that Japingka Gallery in association with The Watiyawanu Artists of Amunturrngu announce the passing of one of the great Indigenous Artists of our time. Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri was initially renowned and respected as a Traditional Medicine Man (Ngangkari,) and Healer in his adopted Community near Mount Liebig in the Central Desert. People would come from many kilometres away to seek his healing. In just the last four years of his life, Bill became even better known as a celebrated Artist. In this short period, Bill achieved enormous recognition and success.

Bill was selected by the Australian Art Collector Magazine as one of “The Top 50 Most Collectable Artists”. He has been a finalist in the last two Telstra Awards and in May of this year was feted in London with a Major Exhibition that sold out completely on the opening night. Collectors and Art Critics alike have celebrated and hailed the work of this incredibly talented and unique Artist.

Bill’s passing is a great loss to the Art World and we believe that he will become to be seen justifiably as one of the all time greats. Bill’s passing not only leaves a large gap in the lives of all in his Community, but it also highlights the sad, irreplaceable loss of so much Traditional Knowledge and experience. It is with the inevitable passing of the older Men and Women who were born in the desert and fully initiated that signals the end of an era, both in the Indigenous Communities and also in the Indigenous Fine Art World.

Japingka Gallery wishes to acknowledge the amazing contribution to Australian Art in such an amazing short but stellar career, and to also pass on our sincere condolences to his wife, children, extended family and his Community at Watiyawanu. This is a great loss to all that knew the man and his work.

Ian Plunkett
Gallery Director
Japinka Gallery


It's interesting how the other Aboriginal Artist we discussed here and BWT both only took up painting in the last few years of their lives. It's as if they were possessed with the knowing that they were leaving, and had to make some last-minute notes.

[Michael]

yes