Bob Gibson. His Father's Country.

About

Bob Gibson Tjungarrayi was born at Papunya in 1974, before moving with his family to the small community of Tjukurla during the outstation movement of the 1980s. This was a time when many Ngaanyatjarra people moved from government outposts near to Alice Springs back into the Western Desert to be closer to their ancestral homelands. Gibson's mother, Mary Gibson, is also a leading Tjarlirli artist whose Country is at Kulkurta, deep in the Western Desert, while his father’s country was near Patjarr on the edge of the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve. Gibson began painting with Tjarlirli Art in 2007, and quickly found a unique rhythm and approach to mark-making; his style is characterized by bold colors and an inimitable freedom of movement, expressing ancient stories with contemporary flair. He is a vibrant character who is well loved within his community and provides support to many family members. Gibson is a keen Sydney Swans supporter and loves listening to all music, especially the local bush bands. Looking at a Gibson painting feels a like like spending time with the artist himself. His bold, playful presence in the studio is contagious; each canvas brings wild shapes and expressive lines met with decisive mark-making and confident realization of country. His highly unique representations of Tjukurrpa (Dreaming stories) are an intersection of traditional storytelling and a spirited contemporary artistic practice. Gibson's work is significant for the way it speaks to the complex layers and tensions between cultural, historical and modern influences, and challenges characterizations of what "real" Aboriginal art looks like. With the cooperation of Tjarlirli and Kaltukatjara Art