Untitled 2009

Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri made this painting with red and cream acrylic. I can just imagine the artist, brush in hand, coaxing these lines of dotted beads into existence, mapping pathways across the canvas. It's almost meditative, this steady rhythm of the hand. I wonder if he was thinking about the land, the Dreamtime stories, as he worked. That rich red ground – it’s like the desert sand at sunset, intense and alive. Then, those sinuous trails of dots shimmering across the surface, they feel like memory, like the echo of footsteps on ancient grounds. I feel a connection with the impulse and tradition of mark-making across cultures. It reminds me of Agnes Martin and the deep feeling in quiet repetitive gesture. Artists share a language beyond words, each learning from those who came before, adding their own unique dialect.