Celebration of Bush Plum 2002 by Gracie Morton, 91x91cm, 7342GM

"Celebration of Bush Plum" (2002) by Gracie Morton is a vibrant, multi-layered painting that joyfully depicts the abundance of bush plums following a season of good rain. Using an aerial perspective, Morton captures the landscape brimming with promise.

The Bush Plum, or Santalum lanceolatum, is a prostrate plant in the Santalaceae family. It thrives in colour after rainfall but quickly deteriorates in the summer heat. The plant features small, creamy-white flowers with four petals and olive-like fruits that ripen from green to purple to black. These fruits, rich in vitamin C, can be eaten raw or cooked. The Bush Plum reproduces through suckering and has semi-parasitic roots that draw nutrients from neighbouring vegetation.

Gracie Morton Pwerle hails from the Alyawarre language group in Utopia, southeast of Alice Springs. Her artistic career began in 1978 with the Utopia Women’s Batik group, working alongside her great aunt Emily Kngwarreye. Gracie's mother, Myrtle, was one of the famous seven Petyarre sisters, including Gloria and Kathleen Petyarre. In 1988, Gracie embraced acrylic paints during a summer project by CAAMA.

Her surname is spelled variably (Pwerle, Pwerl, Purle, or Ngale) due to different linguistic interpretations.