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Lot Essay
With its flowing lines and multi-hued colours Maggie Watson's Digging Sticks, 1997 has an arresting presence.
One of the founders of Yueundumu's Warlukurlangu Arts Centre in the mid 1980s, Watson's work has appeared in significant survey and solo exhibitions since. The precision of line and well balanced composition in this painting shows Watson to be a painter of meticulous application and with a strong sense of aesthetic. Watson clearly takes time over her paintings; so that large and major works such as this are both impressively executed and rare.
As with other Yuendumu painters Watson has always chosen to work with a vast colour range; mastering the mixing of a large and varied palette with great finesse. Her works are colourful but not garish, and often feature subtle pastel shades such as light blues and soft yellows.
This is a painting which works on many levels. One is immediately drawn to its most striking elements - the strong red ochre panels depicting digging sticks within loosely circled waterhole sites; splashes of a luscious turquoise and a clear blue reminiscent of a summer sky, add contrast and balance. It is also a strongly painterly work with the joyous sense of abandon that characterises the best of this impressive Eastern Desert artist's work.
One of the founders of Yueundumu's Warlukurlangu Arts Centre in the mid 1980s, Watson's work has appeared in significant survey and solo exhibitions since. The precision of line and well balanced composition in this painting shows Watson to be a painter of meticulous application and with a strong sense of aesthetic. Watson clearly takes time over her paintings; so that large and major works such as this are both impressively executed and rare.
As with other Yuendumu painters Watson has always chosen to work with a vast colour range; mastering the mixing of a large and varied palette with great finesse. Her works are colourful but not garish, and often feature subtle pastel shades such as light blues and soft yellows.
This is a painting which works on many levels. One is immediately drawn to its most striking elements - the strong red ochre panels depicting digging sticks within loosely circled waterhole sites; splashes of a luscious turquoise and a clear blue reminiscent of a summer sky, add contrast and balance. It is also a strongly painterly work with the joyous sense of abandon that characterises the best of this impressive Eastern Desert artist's work.