Birrno, 2014, Gordon Barney
Natural ochre and pigments on canvas, 50cm x 150cm
Provenance: Tim Melville Gallery, Auckland.
When Gordon Barney worked as a stockman on Alice Downs Station, he would often carry a saddle bag for his ochre collection. After mustering, he would have gathered a bagful of ochres during the ride across his the country. His wife, noted senior Gija artist, Shirley Purdie, encouraged Barney to paint and capture the landscape he saw during his work.
Birrno reflects Birrno Country (Alice Downs Station), the land Barney mustered cattle across for many years, using the skills his father taught him. He paints the hill lines of the traditional land, and his sense of concentration and focus on the the country are reflected in these works (1).