Collage of Sketches of the Quinkan Rock Paintings at Laura, North Queensland, 1996

190 x 270 cm

Est. $2,500 – $3,500

Hammer $1,400

Provenance: Framed Darwin, Anne Phelan (Director) Private Collection, Albany NY
Artwork story: The distinguished winner of the National Aboriginal Art Award in 1988, Koinjmal artist Heather J Walker was born in Rockhampton, Queensland and is among the foremost artists to adapt the ancient imagery of the Quinkan rock shelters of Laura into her contemporary art practice. This major piece, executed in resist-dye batik, draws on a corpus of rock art whose origins stretch back tens of thousands of years. The spirited, elongated Quinkan figures are mischievous spirit beings who populate the sandstone escarpments of Cape York. The vivid red ground heightens the sense of ceremony and spectacle, setting the Quinkan figures in motion and reinforcing their enduring power. It is a rare large-scale example of her practice, embodying her dual commitment to traditional iconographies and contemporary expression.

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Sale 2 · Lot 49

Heather Walker

b. 1942

190 x 270 cm

Est. $2,500 – $3,500

Hammer $1,400

Provenance: Framed Darwin, Anne Phelan (Director) Private Collection, Albany NY
Artwork story: The distinguished winner of the National Aboriginal Art Award in 1988, Koinjmal artist Heather J Walker was born in Rockhampton, Queensland and is among the foremost artists to adapt the ancient imagery of the Quinkan rock shelters of Laura into her contemporary art practice. This major piece, executed in resist-dye batik, draws on a corpus of rock art whose origins stretch back tens of thousands of years. The spirited, elongated Quinkan figures are mischievous spirit beings who populate the sandstone escarpments of Cape York. The vivid red ground heightens the sense of ceremony and spectacle, setting the Quinkan figures in motion and reinforcing their enduring power. It is a rare large-scale example of her practice, embodying her dual commitment to traditional iconographies and contemporary expression.