Bush Plum in Winter, 2001 by Gracie Morton, 152x152cm Cat 7378GM

"Bush Plum in Winter" (2001) by Gracie Morton offers an aerial perspective of the winter landscape. This painting showcases Morton's role as a senior traditional custodian of the Altyerre (Dreaming) and its expansive territory. The Bush Plum Dreaming responsibility was passed to Gracie by her father and aunt, who entrusted her with preserving its traditions. The arc shapes in the painting symbolize body paint designs worn during Bush Plum ceremonies.

Gracie Morton Pwerle, from the Alyawarre language group in Utopia, southeast of Alice Springs, began her artistic career in 1978 with the Utopia Women’s Batik group, alongside her great aunt, Emily Kngwarreye. Her surname appears in various spellings (Pwerle, Pwerl, Purle, or Ngale) due to different linguistic interpretations.

This exceptional painting features graceful movement created by the scallop effect using primarily yellow and white dotting on a black background. The interplay of colors and patterns creates a dynamic visual experience that changes subtly with varying illumination.