Untitled 2002

This Untitled painting was made by Makinti Napanangka sometime in the late 20th or early 21st century. The artist worked with acrylic paint, a medium that allows for building up layers in a way that feels both immediate and considered. Looking closely, you can see the canvas is covered in parallel lines, each one a slightly different shade of yellow or ochre. These lines aren't perfectly straight; they wiggle and wobble, creating a subtle sense of movement across the surface. The paint is applied in thin, translucent layers, allowing the canvas to peek through in places. This gives the painting a sense of light and air, as if the colours are breathing on the surface. There’s something deeply satisfying about the rhythm of these lines, the way they echo and repeat, creating a sense of order and harmony. I'm reminded of the work of Agnes Martin, another artist who used repetitive mark-making to create a sense of calm and contemplation. But unlike Martin's geometric precision, Napanangka's lines feel more organic, more connected to the natural world. It feels like a landscape viewed from above, or a map of some unknown territory.