A record of works sold

Significant Sales

A selection of works Greer Adams Fine Art has sold to private collectors,
corporate collections and public institutions.
Select a work to view its details and full provenance.

Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, Mara Country, 1988

Significant sale

Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c.1936–2002)

Mara Country, 1988

Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
185 × 260 cm

Provenance

Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
Private collection

Prince of Wales (Midpul), Body Marks, 2001

Significant sale

Prince of Wales (Midpul) (c.1937–2002)

Body Marks, 2001

Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
170 × 125 cm
Bears Karen Brown Gallery catalogue number KB4542 on the reverse

Provenance

Painted in Darwin in early 2001
Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin
Private collection

Albert Namatjira, Standley Chasm, c.1945

Significant sale

Albert Namatjira (1902–1959)

Standley Chasm, c.1945

Watercolour on lightly textured light cream wove paper
53.7 × 37.6 cm
Signed in ink, lower right corner

Provenance

Gifted by Albert Namatjira to the late Iris Harvey (1917–2011) of the Arunta Art Gallery and Bookshop, Alice Springs
Thence by descent
Private collection, Adelaide

Significant sale

Pepai Jangala Carroll (1950–2021)

Walungurru, 2020

Synthetic polymer paint on linen
180 x 170 cm
Bears artists name, year, dimensions and Ernabella Arts catalogue number 425-20 on the reverse.

Provenance

Ernabella Arts, South Australia (Catalogue number 425-20)
Aboriginal Contemporary, Sydney
Private Collection

Rover Thomas (Joolama), Kangaroo (at Barawooban), 1983

Significant sale

Rover Thomas (Joolama) (c.1926–1998)

Kangaroo (at Barawooban), 1983

Natural earth pigments on composition board
94 × 122 cm (irregular)

Provenance

Painted by Rover Thomas in Warmun, 1983
Collection of the late Duncan Kentish, Adelaide

This is the first ever documented work by Rover Thomas. You can read the article on this work here.

Charlie Wartuma Tjungurrayi, Emu Dreaming, 1972

Significant sale

Charlie Wartuma Tjungurrayi (c.1921–1999)

Emu Dreaming, 1972

Synthetic polymer paint on composition board
60 × 40 cm

Provenance

Painted at Papunya in 1972
Painting 11 in consignment 19 to the Stuart Art Centre, Alice Springs
Tim Guthrie, Melbourne
Sotheby’s, Important Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 30 June 1997, lot 18
Private collection, Sydney

Exhibited

Tjukurrtjanu: Origins of Western Desert Art, The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne, 30 September 2011 – 12 February 2012
Aux Sources de la Peinture Aborigène, Musée du quai Branly, Paris, 9 October 2012 – 20 January 2013

Literature

Sotheby’s, Important Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 30 June 1997, lot 18, p.20 (illus.).
Geoffrey Bardon and James Bardon, Papunya, A Place Made After the Story: The Beginnings of the Western Desert Painting Movement, Melbourne: The Miegunyah Press, 2004, p.350, ptg.300 (Attributed: Emu Spirit Dreaming with Home).
Judith Ryan, Philip Batty et al, Tjukurrtjanu: Origins of Western Desert Art, Melbourne: National Gallery of Victoria, 2011, p.219 (illus.), p.303.
Judith Ryan, Philip Batty et al, Aux Sources de la Peinture Aborigène, Paris: Musée du quai Branly and Beaux Arts éditions, 2012.
Cf. For a related painting depicting the journey of the ancestral emu see Emu Dreaming, May 1972 (Bardon and Bardon, 2004, p.350, ptg.299).

Significant sale

Janangoo Butcher Cherel (c.1920–2009)

Untitled, 1991

Synthetic polymer paint on linen
137 × 101.5 cm
Bears artist’s signature, dimensions, Duncan Kentish catalogue number 040/91 and ‘Commissioned by Duncan Kentish’ on the reverse

Provenance

Painted in Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia in 1991
Commissioned by Duncan Kentish
Duncan Kentish Fine Art, Adelaide
Private Collection of the late Duncan Kentish, Adelaide

Acquired by

The Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth

Significant sale

Jarinyanu David Downs (c.1925–1995)

Luurn, c.1992

Natural earth pigments and synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen
112 × 84 cm
Bears artist’s signature on the reverse

Provenance

Private Collection of the late Duncan Kentish, Adelaide

Exhibited

Entwined Belief: Two Collections from the work of Jarinyanu David Downs, Campbell’s Stores, Hickson Road, The Rocks, Sydney, 31 October – 7 November

Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi, Snake Dreaming at Lampintjanya, 1972

Significant sale

Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi (c.1920–1987)

Snake Dreaming at Lampintjanya, 1972

Synthetic polymer powder paint on composition board
64 × 44 cm

Provenance

Painted at Papunya during May–July 1972
Consigned ‘unmarked’ to the Stuart Art Centre, Alice Springs
Tim Guthrie, Melbourne
Sotheby’s, Important Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 30 June 1997, lot 22
Private collection, Sydney

Exhibited

Literature

Sotheby’s, Important Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 30 June 1997, lot 22, p.24 (illus.).
Geoffrey Bardon and James Bardon, Papunya, A Place Made After the Story: The Beginnings of the Western Desert Painting Movement, Melbourne: The Miegunyah Press, 2004, p.344, ptg.292 (illus.).

Significant sale

Tommy Watson (c.1935–2017)

Waltjitjarata, 2003

Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
134 × 182 cm

Provenance

Painted in 2003
Irrunytju Arts, Western Australia
Aboriginal and Pacific Art, Sydney
Private Collection, Sydney

Jarinyanu David Downs, Untitled (Dancing Kurtal), 1988

Significant sale

Jarinyanu David Downs (c.1925–1995)

Untitled (Dancing Kurtal), 1988

Natural earth pigments and synthetic polymer paint on linen
137 × 213.5 cm
Bears artist’s signature and Duncan Kentish Fine Art catalogue number 037/88 on the reverse

Provenance

Painted in 1988
Commissioned by Duncan Kentish
Duncan Kentish Fine Art, Adelaide
Private Collection of the late Duncan Kentish, Adelaide

Pijaji Peter Skipper, Jila Japirnka, 1987

Significant sale

Pijaji Peter Skipper (c.1929–2007)

Jila Japirnka, 1987

Synthetic polymer paint on linen
183 × 122 cm
Bears artist’s signature, date and Dreamings, The Art of Aboriginal Australia exhibition catalogue number 66 on the reverse

Provenance

Painted in Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia in 1987
Commissioned by Duncan Kentish
Duncan Kentish Fine Art, Adelaide
Private Collection of the late Duncan Kentish, Adelaide

Exhibited

Dreamings: The Art of Aboriginal Australia, The Asia Society Galleries, New York, 6 October – 31 December 1988, touring to Chicago, USA; Iowa, USA; Melbourne, Australia and the South Australian Museum, Adelaide, 10 February – 16 April 1990

Literature

Peter Sutton (ed.), Dreamings: The Art of Aboriginal Australia, Melbourne: Viking; New York: Asia Society Galleries, 1988, pp.100–101 & 227, p.100 (illus.).
Kay Larson, ‘Their Brilliant Careers’, in New York Magazine, 24 October 1990, pp.148–150, p.148 (illus.).

Jarinyanu David Downs, The Spirit in the Valley, c.1982

Significant sale

Jarinyanu David Downs (c.1925–1995)

The Spirit in the Valley, c.1982

Synthetic polymer paint, natural earth pigments and natural binder on canvas
99 × 91.5 cm
Bears artist’s first name, dimensions, title and medium on a label attached to the stretcher and inscribed ‘Property of Lord McA. No. 57’ on the reverse of the stretcher

Provenance

Painted c.1982
Lord McAlpine of West Green
The late Mary Macha, Perth
The Estate of Duncan Kentish

Acquired by

The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin (cat. no. 1 of 23 works)

One of 23 works acquired at the same time. Read more about this sale here.

Tommy Lowry Tjapaltjarri, Untitled (Ngamurangya Rockhole and Cave Site), 1984

Significant sale

Tommy Lowry Tjapaltjarri (c.1935–1987)

Untitled (Ngamurangya Rockhole and Cave Site), 1984

Synthetic polymer paint on linen
152.5 × 183 cm
Bears Papunya Tula Artists catalogue number TL840444 twice on the reverse

Provenance

Painted at Kiwirrkura, Western Australia in 1984
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs (TL840444)
Private Collection, Adelaide

Literature

Cf. For other significant examples by the artist painted during the 1980s see Two Men Dreaming at Kuluntjarranya, 1984 and 1983, in the private collection of John and Barbara Wilkerson, USA and the Holmes à Court Collection, Perth respectively (Hetti Perkins and Hannah Fink, Papunya Tula: Genesis and Genius, Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2000, pp.94 and 95); Tingari Dreaming, 1986, in the private collection of the late Gabrielle Pizzi (R. Crumlin and A. Knight, Aboriginal Art and Spirituality, Melbourne: Dove Publications, 1995, p.78); and Warrmala the Serpent, 1986 and The Voice of the Moon, 1987 (Jennifer Isaacs, Australian Aboriginal Paintings, NSW: Weldon Publishing, 1989, pp.43 and 45 respectively).

Anatjari Tjakamarra, The Tingari at Yawalyurru, 1987

Significant sale

Anatjari Tjakamarra (c.1930–1992)

The Tingari at Yawalyurru, 1987

Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
183 × 121 cm
Bears ‘East to West’ exhibition details, catalogue number 95, location (Tandanya 1990) and title on the reverse of the stretcher and Papunya Tula Artists catalogue number AT870668 on the reverse

Provenance

Commissioned by Duncan Kentish in Docker River, Northern Territory
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs
Private collection

Exhibited

East to West: Land in Papunya Tula Painting, curated by John Kean, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, 4 March – 3 June 1990, cat. no. 95

Literature

Cf. For a stylistically similar painting see Tingari Cycle Dreaming at Paratjakutti, 1989, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. For another work by the artist produced around the same period see Women’s Dreaming Near Kiwirrkura, 1989, in the Kluge-Ruhe Collection (Hetti Perkins and Hannah Fink, Papunya Tula: Genesis and Genius, Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2000, p.106; Howard Morphy and M. Smith Boles (eds.), Art from the Land: Dialogues with the Kluge-Ruhe Collection of Australian Aboriginal Art, Charlottesville USA: University of Virginia, 1999, p.242, pl.8.30).

Acquired by

The National Museum of Australia, Canberra

Jarinyanu David Downs, Baliyara attacked by his dogs and robbed of his sacred stones by Kurtal, 1994

Significant sale

Jarinyanu David Downs (c.1925–1995)

Baliyara attacked by his dogs and robbed of his sacred stones by Kurtal, 1994

Natural earth pigments and synthetic polymer paint on linen
122 x 91.5 cm

Provenance

Private Collection of the late Duncan Kentish, Adelaide

Acquired by

The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin

Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c.1936–2002)

Ngak Ngak and the owl at night, 1997

Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
57 x 123 cm

Provenance

Painted at Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs during an artist in residence in 1997
Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Private collection

Exhibited

Solo exhibition:
Artist’s Retrospective: Mother in Mind: The Art of Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, National
Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, 17 July – 22 September 1997

Group exhibition:
Agents of Change, Biennale of Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW (dates
tbc). The artist shared the ground floor at the Biennale with Yoko Ono

Literature

Judith Ryan, Mother in Mind: The Art of Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, Melbourne: National
Gallery of Victoria, 1997, p. 104 (colour illustration).

Janangoo Butcher Cherel, Untitled – Wajarra (Boab Nuts), 1990

Significant sale

Janangoo Butcher Cherel (c.1920–2009)

Untitled – Wajarra (Boab Nuts), 1990

Synthetic polymer paint on linen
137 x 101.5 cm

Provenance

The Late Duncan Kentish, Adelaide
Private Collection

Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, Dibirdibi Country, 2012

Significant sale

Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori (1924–2015)

Dibirdibi Country, 2012

Synthetic polymer paint on linen
151 x 91 cm

Provenance

Mornington Island Art, Mornington Island
Private Collection

Publications

Catalogues

Press & announcements

News

Finding the lost Rover Thomas

Greer Adams Fine Art is excited to announce the discovery of the first ever documented work by major Aboriginal artist Rover Thomas.

News

Major Kimberley Aboriginal Art Collection sold to Australian Public Institution

Greer Adams Fine Art and the family of the late West Australian artist Jarinyanu David Downs are delighted to announce that in a first for an Australian Public institution, the most historically significant single collection of paintings by an important Kimberley artist – 23 pieces in all – has been acquired by The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin.

News

Recent Major Sale for the Boss of Colour – Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (C.1936-2002)

Greer Adams Fine Art is thrilled to announce the sale of four major works by revered late Australian Indigenous artist Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c.1936-2002).

See all news