Albert Namatjira - Australian Artist (28 July 1902 - 8 August 1959)
Introduction: He is one of Australia's best-known artists, whose landscape paintings are iconic images synonymous with the Australian outback.
Albert Namatjira outside Government House in Sydney during the 1950s. Education: Albert attended the Hermannsburg mission school. At 13 he spent six months in the bush and underwent initiation. Albert Namatjira began painting in the mid-1930s. Experiences: "In his boyhood Albert sketched
'scenes and incidents around him . . . the cattle yard, the stockmen with
their horses, and the hunters after game'. He later made artefacts such as
boomerangs and woomeras. Encouraged by the mission authorities, he began to
produce mulga-wood plaques with poker-worked designs. Meanwhile, he worked
as a blacksmith, carpenter, stockman and cameleer—at the mission for rations
and on neighbouring stations for wages. The spectacular scenery of Central
Australia, then entering the national consciousness as a symbol of
Australian identity, attracted artists to Hermannsburg, among them Rex
Battarbee and John Gardner. During their second visit in 1934 they held an
exhibition for an Aboriginal audience. The Arrernte were familiar with
illustrations of biblical scenes, but none had seen landscapes depicting
their own surroundings."
“Arreyonga Paddock, James Range” by
Albert Namatjira
"Motivated by a deep attachment to his country and
the possibility of a vocation that offered financial return, Namatjira
expressed an interest in learning to paint. In 1936 he accompanied Battarbee
as a cameleer on two month-long excursions in and around the Macdonnell
Ranges. Battarbee was impressed by his evident talent. In the following year
Pastor Friedrich Albrecht, the superintendent of Hermannsburg, displayed ten
of Namatjira's watercolours at a Lutheran conference held at Nuriootpa,
South Australia. Battarbee included another three of his water-colours in an
exhibition with the Royal South Australian Society of Arts, Adelaide. In
1938 the two men went on an expedition, during which Battarbee taught him
photography. Later that year Namatjira held his first solo exhibition at the
Fine Art Society Gallery, Melbourne. With Battarbee's assistance as teacher,
dealer and mentor, a school of artists developed around Namatjira."
Links:
YouTube:
Portrait Story: Albert Namatjira
YouTube:
Albert Namatjira copyright - The Feed -
SBS
YouTube:
Namatjira's story
YouTube:
Albert Namatjira: The Man who Captured the Heart of Australia 28mins
Online: Use the Namatjira app to create some similar landscapes Primary Australian Curriculum General Capability: ICT Capability Australian Curriculum: Cross Curriculum Priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures 1. Download the following app [after getting permission from Parents or Guardians]
2. Use the app to create similar landscapes to Albert Namatjira 3. In 2017, a Google Doodle of Albert Namatjira's 115th Birthday was created: You might like to create another beautiful Google Doodle to celebrate Albert and his paintings.
Online: Create a new verse to the song "Native Born" Middle & Secondary Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy Australian Curriculum: Cross Curriculum Priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
1. Watch the following YouTube Video of "Native Born" by Archie Roach Archie on Native Born, a song inspired by the paintings of
Albert Namatjira
2. Look at the words of "Native Born": "Albert Namatjra painted 3. Now that you have listen and seen Archie Roach's song about Albert Namatjira, it is now your turn to create an extra verse about Albert and his life!
4. Share your verse with a partner and get them to give you some feedback. 5. Share with the whole class.
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