Ronnie Tjampitjinpa
Pintupi people

[Ronnie Tjampitjinpa] has developed into one of the group's most important painters, having being influenced by some of the greats, such as Uta Uta Tjangala and Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri.

Ronnie Tjampitjinpa is one of the few Papunya Tula painters there at the start of the Western Desert art movement in the early 1970's who is still practising today.  To my mind, he has developed into one of the group's most important painters, having being influenced by some of the greats, such as Uta Uta Tjangala and Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri.

An innovator, Ronnie developed and perfected the "linked dot" technique in the 1990's to create surfaces of unparalleled vibrancy.  This method of painting sets his work apart from most other Papunya painters of his generation, who tended to use separate dotting, and seems to have influenced many of the current generation of painters in the Kintore region.

The subject matter of Untitled 2004 (pictured; 244cm x 183cm, valued at about $80,000) seems to be the highly esoteric Tingari ceremonial cycle.  The Tingari are usually described as a number of senior ancestors who led a large group of people across the western deserts, sanctifying the landscape and creating law as they went.  The subject is highly sacred, so few details are ever given to the public.  The radiance of the colour in this strong and convincing work reinforces the notion of the presence of ancestral power in the landscape.

Beware, though, there are a lot of very bad Ronnies out there: sloppy work done to provide the artist with quick cash.  As a rule of thumb, look to buy only those artworks that come with the provenance of Papunya Tula Artists.

Michael Reid is an art collector, author and dealer, with almost 20 years experience in the art market; www.michaelreid.com.au

Martin Place	—	Perth

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