Mulga Plaque (Hunter and Dog) 1944

Albert Namatjira made this Mulga Plaque with a hunting scene on a slice of wood. Imagine Albert finding this piece of mulga – or someone finding it for him – and thinking, yes, this is the surface where I can tell a story. Look at those delicate lines scratched into the wood, describing the hunter, the dog, the tree. I feel like I’m spying on a memory or a dream. I wonder what Albert was thinking about when he was making this? It's a totally different approach to the more traditional watercolor landscapes he is best known for, isn’t it? This little plaque makes me think about other artists who have used found objects to create art; it’s about seeing potential in something ordinary, about the impulse to create. I guess artists are always talking to each other across time, inspiring each other.