George Tjungarrayi began painting for Papunya Tula Artists in 1976. Since his first two solo exhibitions in 1997 at the Utopia Art Gallery in Alice Springs and at the Gallery Gabreille Pizzi in Melbourne in 1998, he has become one of the master painters of contemporary Pintupi art. George’s early works from the 1970s and early 1980s depicted Tingari imagery by dotted grids on lines and circles in traditional ochres. In the mid-1980s, he experimented with new styles, including a wider range of colors in works that reflected ceremonies and stories about the journeys of his ancestors After his first prominent exhibition in Alice Springs in 1990, George moved away from figurative painting towards more abstract and linear work that depicts the traditional Tingari Dreaming Cycle. Through fine lines and beautiful geometric patterns, George portrays in an abstract style the major sacred sites of the Tingari, as well as their dreamtime stories. His works belong to the same genre as those of Ronnie Tjampitjinpa and Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula.
Artwork and technique
George has perfected a minimalist and abstracted style of painting that is characterised by intersecting parallel lines that bend with subtle optical rhythm. The delicate fine lines and use of strong color with a limited palette not only provide a convincing impact but also lend his works an aura of spiritual strength. They often create a subtle optical illusion, infusing the work with liveliness and dynamism. His prominence today derives from the fundamentally abstract and modern nature of his works.