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Clifford Possum,
one of the most internationally respected of the Aboriginal artists,
has roots that reach back to dawn of the Aboriginal art explosion in
1970, where he assisted in the painting of a traditional image on the
side of a schoolhouse in the community of Papunya. Originally a well
respected woodcarver teaching at the Papunya school, Possum joined the
group of "Painting Men" who were persuaded by British school teacher
Geoffrey Bardon to make their sacred images public. Possum was Chairman
of the Papunya Tula artist's cooperative during the late 70's to the
mid 80's.
His repertoire of "Dreamings" or totemic creation stories is unusually
large; Possum, Fire, Lightening, Water, Kangaroo, Fish, Snake, Man's
Love Story are but a few of the stories which he has inherited the right
to depict. His work has been the subject of an important retrospective
at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London, included in numerous
traveling international museum shows and dozens of private gallery
showings, and is held by important collections worldwide.
Clifford Possum
"Human Tracks"
acrylic on canvas
32"x51"
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