MAN BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30586, 31 October 1964, Page 4

MAN BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

flteviewed by

A.M.J.

Namatjira. Wanderer between two Worlds. By Joyce D. Batty. Hodder and Stoughton. 15* pp. From time to time we read of individuals who have failed to meet the demands of what is euphemistically termed “civilisation” and who have either suffered greatly or have met their deaths as a result. In recent years two such people have been Miss Marilyn Monroe of the theatrical world and Albert Namatjira of a world which is difficult to define. This is the tragic story of the talented aborigine whose vivid paintings of Central Australia brought him fame and fortune, as well as great sorrows. It is the story of abrupt acculturation; the struggles of a simple man with tribal responsibilities deeply embedded within his way of life, who is “taken up” by a society which offered too much, too soon. Albert was born in 1902 of two members of the Aranda tribe. It was not until 1938, after he had achieved some recognition as an artist, that he became Albert Namatjira; but to his people he was always simple Albert. He attended the Hermansburg Lutheran Mission where his aptitude for learning made him stand out amongst his fellows, and at the age of 13 was taken by the Aranda elders to distant ceremonial grounds for initiation into manhood.

As a young man he displayed interest and ability in various trades, and also became a camel driver in the interior for a time, but his real vocation was to begin in a most insignificant way. The missionary at Hermansburg, Pastor F. W. Albrecht, suggested that the native people might develop an economic outlet by burning designs on wood with red-hot fencing wire, and the most skilfullymade products were those produced by Albert whose designs displayed originality and attention to detail and finish. From this he progressed to ornamenting oval plaques of mulga wood which depicted the plants and animals of his environment, latter examples being inscribed with Biblical texts. Albert’s introduction to commerce took place when Constable Mackinnon ordered a dozen of these at 5s each. “They depicted Mackinnon’s patrol in the desert with the constable on the first camel followed by a spare mount, two pack camels, another spare mount, and his black tracker bringing up in the rear on a sixth camel. The sparse trees and the clumps of spinifex in the background captured faithfully the aspect of the country. Each plaque was inscribed; ‘Greetings from the South-West Patrol.’ ”

Albert’s first real opportunity to develop his talents came when two painters, Rex Bartarbee and John A. Gardner, visited the region. He showed great interest in their work and Bartarbee advised that painting materials should be bought for him. Albert experimented with watercolour for about a year before he produced his first satisfactory painting in 1935. In 1936, Bar-

tarbee took Albert as a companion, and artist and pupil worked together in the Krichauff Ranges, where after about a fortnight’s instruction Albert was producing work which astonished his tutor. He could reproduce a scene with great fidelity but had yet to learn the principles of composition. When Pastor Albrecht saw the results of the six weeks’ instruction which Albert had received he realised that it was his duty to assist the budding artist to fully develop his undoubted talents. Gradually Albert’s work came under the attention of a wider audience. In 1938, some of his water colours were shown at Melbourne in connexion with an exhibtion of native handicrafts, but later in the same year he “arrived” by holding a one man show arranged for him by Bartarbee. Within three days all 41 paintings were sold, an unprecedented success for a complete newcomer in the city's galleries. Some art critics were extravagant in their praise but they were not by any means unanimous in their opinions. One critic wrote; “Although Albert Namatjira is the first aborigine to exhibit paintings in a truly realistic manner, there is no need for a fanfare of trumpets. 1 do not accept his paintings as outstanding art.” His second exhibition was held a year later in Adelaide and was as successful as the first.

The war years brought Australian and American soldiers to Central Australia and Albert found a ready market for his skill, but to ensure that matters did not get out of hand and to prevent the artist from being exploited, an advisory council was formed to supervise sales and maintain standards. Albert accepted this assistance with gratitude. His second Melbourne exhibition was also a complete success, all 38 paintings being sold at prices ranging from 10 to 35 guineas. A question raised at about that time was why Namatjira never appeared at his exhibitions, but he had not requested that he should do so and the advisory council was reluctant to thrust this untouched tribal nomad into modern urban society. His income made him a man of substance but he showed no inclination to change his way of life for that of the city. With increase in fame came a documentary film on his life and work, one successful exhibition after another, and the beginnings of his troubles. His success attracted the attention of the Taxation Department and in due course Albert received an income tax assessment which was, naturally, quite incomprehensible to him but which he had to meet even though, as an aborigine, he was not a Commonwealth citizen. In 1949, he attempted to establish a small cattle station but his application for a grazier’s licence was refused. His greatest ambition was to own a house in Alice Springs but in this too he met only frustration and disappointment.

One of his greatest problems was the ancient sharing principle of his tribe. This was not a problem in that he tried to evade his responsibilites to his fellows, but that there were so many of them who under tribal law were

entitled to a share in all that was his, and at one time he was paying up to £BO a week for provisions for as many as 50 relatives. Further trouble appeared in connexion with forgeries which began to appear under his name, but in 1954 there was a brighter patch when he was presented to the Queen during her Australian tour. He continued to remain the subject of heated controversy. Some critics praised his work to the skies whilst others accused him of turning out “absolute pot - boilers.” At about this stage he had his first encounter with the police over drink, and although on this occasion the charge was dismissed, future incidents were to be treated more seriously. He was eventually granted full citizenship which gave him full access to all that was available to the white man. This proved to be a mixed blessing as there is little doubt that such responsibilities were made too soon and before a full adjustment was made, for it was soon noted that Albert “was showing signs of degradation due to lack of suitable nourishment and the poor quality liquor he was drinking.” Further encounters with the law followed and at one stage he received a sentence which he was permitted to serve while painting within the bounds of his tribal lands. On his release he lapsed into a state of general lethargy and appeared to have lost the will to live but it was a heart attack, followed by pneumonia, that brought his life to a close.

This history of a man, projected into an advanced culture before he was prepared for it, is not particularly happy reading, but for those who respond sincerely to the warm yellows, blues and reds of Albert Namatjira’s paintings, it is essential