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TDP 12. Malliera Body Paint, Dr. George, 2000, (diptych), 60" x 20"

This an outstanding minimal modern painting activated by a deep spiritual significance to the artist. A wealth of cultural information is encoded in this work. The paintings visual power, much like that of vintage 60's Frank Stella or Agnes Martin comes from the subtle interplay of positive and negative space. The artist's intent while equally reductive is far less intellectual. The crude marking of the canvas mimes the act of marking the body's of young initiates with fingers dipped in a mixture of ochre pigments and kangaroo fat.

Dr. George Tjapaltjarri is a Pintupi elder, responsible for the initiation of young men into the cultic life, revealing to them the esoteric knowledge connected to the "Tingari Cycle." He is also a "Maparn" or traditional healer, renowned for his "laying on of hands." Dr. George's style has become quite innovative in recent years, his confident hand is evident in the assurance of this work.

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