Titjikala Exhibition

Last night was the opening of the Paintings, Pots, Papa's and People exhibition at Central Craft in Alice Springs. 

This exhibition took a lot of hard work and many hours on the road between Titjikala and Alice in order to have the work hung, installed and looking as beautiful as it did.

Jane and I ferried the paintings and pots into in the June Marriott gallery on Thursday and began the process of hanging and rehanging paintings, shuffling plinths around and arranging desert spinifex and red sand....a big job as I am sure you are aware if you have ever installed an exhibition........before long we were both in need of some food and a bit of fresh air.

With a full belly and a renewed sense of purpose we returned from  our mixed salads and tea(from the best cafe in town, the amazing Katja's) and dived straight back into hanging paintings.

All ready coming together. 

It took two days to have the work installed but boy did it look good when it was done.

On Friday night some of the artists came into town for the opening....Marie, Nora, Cora, Hazel, Sandra and Sid arrived just as we had put the finishing touches to the space.

Sandra and Cora infront of the collaborative painting of camp dogs. 

Marie and Nora in front of tow of Marie's paintings and the wire sculptures of horses and stock men by the one and only Johnny Young

A little bit of spinifex and sand just added to the unique quality of the bowls. The paintings are done by Nora and Cora.

The completed Robin Best and Sarah O'Sullivan pot, painted by Marie

And of course there were Papa's......smoke fired to give them the look of proper camp dogs

There is no limit to what the artists can do.....these beautiful baskets and beads were made by a number of artists and we just had to include them.

Marie standing next to the garden of Eden

    
It was a great night and at the end of it we all packed into the troop carrier and headed back out of town. the trip was slightly squishy and very bumpy but before we knew it we were all home again.