Two men sitting at a waterhole
Tapestry
1989 (made)
1989 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Established by the Government of Victoria in 1976, the Victorian Tapestry Workshop has an international reputation for its handwoven tapestries. The majority of its tapestries are large-scale coporate and public commissions, but there has also been a demand from individual clients keen to own small examples of work. In order to make its tapestries more widely available, the workshop put together a collection of specially designed small tapestries, to be woven in limited editions.
Jimmy Pike was an Aboriginal artist who lived in a bushcamp on the edge of the remote Great Sandy Desert of North Western Australia. A member of the Walmajarri people, one of the last group to leave the desert in the 1950s, Pike spent his childhood as a nomad. Pike's work has been inspired by the landscape and its ancient culture. In his early career, Pike supplemented his income by selling hand carved artefacts, but in 1981 he was introduced to the Western style of painting and he continued to work in this medium. However, the subjects and themes of his work remained entirely rooted in his Aboriginal heritage, as he explored the desert landscape and the spirituality of his people.
Jimmy Pike was an Aboriginal artist who lived in a bushcamp on the edge of the remote Great Sandy Desert of North Western Australia. A member of the Walmajarri people, one of the last group to leave the desert in the 1950s, Pike spent his childhood as a nomad. Pike's work has been inspired by the landscape and its ancient culture. In his early career, Pike supplemented his income by selling hand carved artefacts, but in 1981 he was introduced to the Western style of painting and he continued to work in this medium. However, the subjects and themes of his work remained entirely rooted in his Aboriginal heritage, as he explored the desert landscape and the spirituality of his people.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Two men sitting at a waterhole (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Tapestry woven with a cotton warp and wool and cotton weft |
| Brief description | 'Two men sitting at a waterhole' Tapestry woven for the Victorian Tapestry Workshop to a design by Jimmy Pike, Melbourne, 1989. |
| Physical description | Hand woven Gobelin tapestry, white on a black ground. Abstract aerial view of two men sitting by a pond. The design is formed by a central motif of concentric lines, framed by a maze like pattern of thicker lines on the left and a zigzagging line on the right. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Unique |
| Object history | Produced by weavers from the Victorian Tapestry Workshop to a design by Jimmy Pike. Purchased. Registered File number 1994/1388. Historical significance: This series of miniature tapestries was created by the Victorian Tapestry Workshop as a way of widening access to and ownership of their work. A number of artists, such as Stephen Benwell, the ceramic artist, or Jimmy Pike agreed to collaborate on the project. Several of them spent time at the Workshop as artists in residence. This project differed from the usual large scale long-term work of the Workshop and provided individual, short-term and intimate challenges for the weavers. |
| Historical context | The Victorian Tapestry Workshop, established by the Government of Victoria in 1976, has an international reputation for the freshness, vitality and technical excellence of its hand-woven tapestries. The majority of the Workshop's tapestries are large-scale commissions, for display in venues such as arts complexes, schools and universities, corporate foyers and boardrooms. Between 1983 and 1988 the Workshop collaborated with Australian artist Arthur Boyd to produce a monumental tapestry for permanent display in the new Parliament House n Canberra. There has always been a demand from individual clients eager to own small examples of work and, in order to make their tapestries more widely available, the Workshop put together a collection of specially designed small tapestries to be woven in limited editions. Designs were commissioned from a number of Australian artists, several of whom spent time with the weavers as artists in residence. |
| Production | Reason For Production: Exhibition |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Established by the Government of Victoria in 1976, the Victorian Tapestry Workshop has an international reputation for its handwoven tapestries. The majority of its tapestries are large-scale coporate and public commissions, but there has also been a demand from individual clients keen to own small examples of work. In order to make its tapestries more widely available, the workshop put together a collection of specially designed small tapestries, to be woven in limited editions. Jimmy Pike was an Aboriginal artist who lived in a bushcamp on the edge of the remote Great Sandy Desert of North Western Australia. A member of the Walmajarri people, one of the last group to leave the desert in the 1950s, Pike spent his childhood as a nomad. Pike's work has been inspired by the landscape and its ancient culture. In his early career, Pike supplemented his income by selling hand carved artefacts, but in 1981 he was introduced to the Western style of painting and he continued to work in this medium. However, the subjects and themes of his work remained entirely rooted in his Aboriginal heritage, as he explored the desert landscape and the spirituality of his people. |
| Bibliographic reference | Australian tapestries : the stuff of dreams : masterworks from the Victorian Tapestry Workshop. Melbourne, 1995
p.32 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.875-1994 |
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| Record created | March 24, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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