Paddy Carlton was born circa 1936 on Legune Station in the Northern Territory. One of the first generation artists of the East Kimberley art style and a founding member of Waringarri Aboriginal Arts in Kununurra, Paddy always led by example of his commitment to a strong artistic and cultural tradition.

Paddy Carlton was a traditional elder and senior law custodian of this region. He was the head stockman at Carlton Hill and Ningbing stations for many years and in his senior years an internationally-known artist.

Most importantly, he was a man of extraordinary knowledge, speaking several languages and contributing to the maintenance of law and culture for the local Aboriginal community, as well as assisting in the development of cultural understanding by the broader Australian community, including contributions as a key advisor on native title.

As an artist he was initially more iconic in his imagery with a style reminiscent of the rich tradition of rock art techniques first learnt by him as a young man during his initiation. His early works tell the stories of the Dreaming, Jimilwirring ( Lightning Men), Walajabi (the snake), Dingo, Flying Fox and the mother snake of the Dreaming - (see Kununurra Hospital collection).

As with all great artists, his style evolved over the years, encompassing new ways of representation gained through artistic experimentation, diligent involvement and an obvious love of painting 'Country'. In recent years, his art revealed elegant minimal compositions characterized by a spare traditional ochre palette often painted on a black ground dense as night.

His compositions revolve around the depiction of waterholes, hills and river systems occasionally heightened by areas of intense 'dotting' to indicate an area of bull-grass, a stand of paperbarks or spinifex. These paintings reveal the great depth of his knowledge and resonate with quiet confidence and power. While Carlton's paintings have revealed his connection to and knowledge of extended areas of 'country' across the east Kimberley region,
it was 'Goorbadjim', the country of his beloved Bullo River that was the key imagery of his repertoire.

Often sitting for a number of days before a new canvas considering and distilling his knowledge and memory of place, his love of painting was evident in the reverence with which he approached those first marks on canvas, his singing of country - just audible - and the poignant care with which he made each mark. With quiet composure he processed his extensive knowledge of country, its dreaming trails, landmarks and associated stories into compositions of purity and balance. He will be much missed.

(courtesy of "The Kimberley Echo" 2006)

COLLECTIONS:
Artbank Australia, Sydney, NSW
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic
Notre Dame University Collection, Broome, WA
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
ATSIC Collection

INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS:
2004 Solo Exhibition, Seva Frangos Art @ Span Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
2004 Solo Exhibition, Seva Frangos Art @ Lister Calder Gallery, Perth, WA
2001 Solo Exhibition, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

EXHIBITIONS:
2005 Indigenous Art, Australian Embassy, Paris, France
2005 Suzanne O'Connell Art at Brisbane Art Fair, Brisbane, QLD
2003 East Kimberley Art, Short St Gallery, Broome, WA
2003 Waterhole, Grant Pirrie, Sydney, NSW
2003 Moon- One Icon Many Stories, Arthouse Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2003 Kimberley Art, Art Gallery of New south Wales, Sydney, NSW
2003 Paintings- Country from the Heart, Thornquest Gallery, Southport, QLD
2003 Joondalup Invitation Art Award, Perth, WA
2003 Collectables, Randell Art, Perth, WA
2002 Heyson Prize, Adelaide, SA
2002 Warrgearankoo, Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth, WA
2001 All About Art, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, Vic
2000 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the NT, Darwin
1999 East Kimberley Art Awards, Kununurra, WA
1998 Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth, WA
1997 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the NT, Darwin
1997 Hogarth Gallery, Sydney, NSW
1996 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the NT, Darwin
1995 East Kimberley Art Award, Kununurra WA
1995 Savode Gallery
1995 Fremantle Print Award, Perth, WA
1994 Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth, WA
1994 Power of the Land- Masterpieces of Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic
1994 Kimberley Art, Melbourne, Vic
1994 Tandanya, Adelaide, SA
1994 Canberra Grammar School, Canberra, ACT
1994 Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs, NT
1993 Kimberley Art, Melbourne, Vic
1992 Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, Vic
1992 Images of Power, Aboriginal and of the East Kimberley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic
1991 Birukmarri Gallery, Fremantle, WA
1991 Aboriginal Artists, Gallery Brisbane, QLD
1990 Balance 1990, Queensland Art Gallery, QLD

Paddy Carlton (1936-2006)

Jimilwiring Lightning

About the artist