Fifty years ago exactly in Papunya, a settlement 240km north-west of Alice Springs, the Papunya Tula Art Movement began in 1971 when a school teacher, Geoffrey Bardon, encouraged some of the men to paint a blank school wall. The murals sparked off tremendous interest in the community and soon many men started painting. In 1972 the artists successfully established their own company.
Papunya settlement was established as an administrative centre by the government for the Aboriginal people who had moved in from the desert. Since then many Pintupi and Luritja people have moved back to their homelands and continue their strong ceremonial tie to the Land.
David Smith and Gabrielle Davidson have been pioneers in the presentation of Australian indigenous Art - often regarded as ’the last great art movement of the Twentieth Century’ - to an international audience at significant art fairs and important gallery & museum exhibitions.
SmithDavidson Gallery is excited to present a new exhibition with works from this unique and thrilling art movement in the Amsterdam galleries.