Tingari 2003

Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri created this painting, called Tingari, with acrylic on canvas. The ochre background is a warm and earthy, and then these concentric squares or rectangles seem to emerge, expanding outwards, or maybe inwards, like a portal or a vortex. I can imagine him making this, going round and round, lost in thought. The lines wiggle just a bit. It's not perfect, which is what makes it so compelling. Each form is slightly different; it’s as though he's improvising, feeling his way through each shape, and each shape then seems to respond to the previous. It’s a meditative process, each square an echo of the one before, like ripples in water. You can almost feel him breathing as he repeats this action again and again. I love the imperfections and how it is about rhythm, echoing artists like Agnes Martin. These shapes create a visual language that speaks of memory, place, and the cyclical nature of life.