Curly Bardkadubbu

Curly Bardkadubbu (1924–1987) was a Kunwinjku artist who was born in the Kamarrang subsection of the Naborn clan of the Marrkolidjban estate on the Liverpool River.[1] He was known for his paintings on eucalyptus bark.

Curly Bardkadubbu
Bornc.1924
Died1987
Namokardabu, Northern Territory, Australia

Biography

Not much is known of Bardkadubbu's early life, one reason being the lack of official record keeping and a second being that Bardkadubbu did not start painting until comparatively late in life.[2] Bardkadubbu did not rise to prominence in the art scene until the late 1970s when he was in his mid-forties.[2] In the late 1970s, Bardkadubbu was tutored in painting by Yirawala when they shared an outstation at Table Hill and Marrkolidjban, which both men helped to establish.[2]

Being so close to this river may be the cause of Bardkadubbu's best known depictions – Namanjwarre the Crocodile.[3] Later in his life, Bardkadubbu would move to Namokarabu (an estate in the Liverpool River region), where his life would come to an end in the year 1987 at the age of 62 or 63 (the reason his exact age is undetermined is because of the lack of records indicating Bardkadubbu's date of birth and subsequently date of death).[2]

Artistic career

Bardkadubbu’s work was selected for a number of major exhibitions in Australia and abroad, including: The Art of Aboriginal Australia, which toured North America from 1974 to 1976; and Aboriginal Art: The Continuing Tradition at the National Gallery of Australia in 1989. Bardkadubbu entered the first National Aboriginal Art Award, established by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in 1984. In 2013, Bardkadubbu's painting Namanjwarre the Estuarine Crocodile was included in the exhibition Old Masters: Australia's Great Bark Artists, organized by the National Museum of Australia.[4]

Style

Bardkadubbu started painting much later than his contemporaries.[3] Because of this he used large barks (up to a meter in length) to make up for his lack of precision from starting paintin[5] g later.[3] Most of Bardkadubbu's subjects were animals, specifically barramundi, crocodiles, and kangaroos- with crocodiles being the most frequent subject over .[3] Yirawala and Bardkadubbu have the same style of infill in that they both leave space between the rarrk.[3]

The Northern Land Council's logo is derived from Bardkadubbu's painting Ngalyod the Rainbow Serpent.[1] Bardkadubbu allowed the Northern Land Council to modify the painting for their logo; in return he was paid via copyright fee for allowing the council to use his painting.[1] The logo adapted the painting by rotating Ngalyold the Rainbow Serpent ninety degrees clockwise and changing the water serpent's head. The colors were also slightly enhanced to pop more, but neither the general shape of the water serpent's body nor the interior crosshatching was changed.[6][7]

Collections

Works Sold at Auction
  • Kandakidji (Kangaroo)[11]
  • Untitled (Rock Wallaby Hunt)[11]
  • Namangwarri - Salt Water Crocodile[11]
  • Salt Water Crocodile[11]
  • Rainbow Serpent[11]
  • Ngalkunburriyaymi (The Female Rainbow Serpent)[11]
  • Ngalyod the Rainbow Serpent[12]
  • Oenpelli, Western Arnhem Land[12]
  • Yawkyawk[12]
  • Two Works: Saratoga Fish[12]
  • Namangurr (Barramundi) and Mimi Spirit[12]
  • Namangurr (Barramundi)[12]
  • Yawk Yawk Spirit[12]
  • Saltwater Crocodiles[12]
  • Kundagi, the Kangaroo[12]
  • Luma Luma[12]
  • Barramundi with Totem Design[12]
  • Kunmalng - Dead Person's Spirit[12]

References
  1. "Northern Land Council Annual Report 2019-20". Northern Land Council. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  2. corporateName=National Museum of Australia; address=Lawson Crescent, Acton Peninsula. "National Museum of Australia - Curly Bardkadubbu". www.nma.gov.au. Retrieved 2023-04-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. "Curly Bardkadubbu". Aboriginal Bark Paintings. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  4. corporateName=National Museum of Australia; address=Lawson Crescent, Acton Peninsula. "National Museum of Australia - Curly Bardkadubbu". www.nma.gov.au. Retrieved 2023-05-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. "They are Meditating: Bark Paintings from the MCA's Arnott's Collection | Exhibitions | MCA Australia". www.mca.com.au. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  6. "Northern Land Council". Northern Land Council. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  7. "Curly Bardkadubbu | Ngalyod the Rainbow Serpent". www.mutualart.com. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  8. "Works by Curly Bardkadubbu | Art Gallery of NSW". www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  9. st, Visit North Terrace Adelaide SA 5000 Australia T. +61 8 8207 7000 E. infoartgallery sa gov au www agsa sa gov au AGSA Kaurna yartangka yuwanthi AGSA; l, s on Kaurna; Maps, Open in. "Curly Bardkadubbu". AGSA - Online Collection. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  10. "Bardkadubbu - Search the Collection, National Gallery of Australia". National Gallery of Australia. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  11. "Sold at Auction: Curly Bardkadubbu". Invaluable. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  12. "Curly Bardkadubbu | 21 Artworks". www.mutualart.com. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
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