Pirlinyanu by Julie Nangala Robertson, size 30x25cm Cat 11165JR

Julie was awarded the prestigious Telstra Aboriginal Art Award Best Painting category in August 2023.

In this small, exquisite painting that hangs beautifully with its sister painting Catalogue 11166JR, Julie has painted the movement of rain falling on the rocky outcrop and the rock holes.

This rocky country with its significant waterholes and plentiful bush tucker is one of many significant locations for the Water Dreaming because if you know which rocks to move you always have access to fresh water in the deep natural occurring wells of Pirlinyanu. Without this knowledge one could imagine there was no water in this desert landscape. Ownership of country is passed down from the father (patrilineal) and ritual knowledge is passed on from auntie to niece (father’s sisters). In this case it is those of the Nampijinpa and Nangala sub-section groups.

Using an aerial perspective along with a more recently established and distinctive monochromatic palette, Julie’s current paintings have become works of extraordinary optical brilliance as she alternates the size of dots throughout her work as well as building up specific shapes or reference points often by repeating dotting.

The passing of traditional knowledge teaches the location of deep rock holes here that contain valuable water even during dry times.

The eldest of the five daughters of Dorothy Napangardi Robinson has recently changed the spelling of her surname to Robertson, feeling that her father, Windy, had misspelt it as Julie's other relatives in Yuendumu are all Robertson. Windy had two wives, Rene Robinson and Dorothy Robinson.