Kangaroo in Landscape 1937

Albert Namatjira made this watercolour painting, Kangaroo in Landscape, in the mid twentieth century using fluid washes of colour to depict an expansive scene. It feels to me like a memory of a place, or an attempt to capture something fleeting, rather than a strict topographical study. I love how Namatjira creates a sense of depth with the soft, hazy blues of the distant mountains against the warmer foreground of yellows and browns. It's interesting how he uses a kind of shorthand to represent the landscape, marks and dabs of watercolour evoking the texture of the outback. Look at the way he paints the kangaroo, such a simple, graceful form, almost like a hieroglyph against the backdrop. And those trees to the left, rendered in a blue so intense it almost vibrates against the paper, so evocative. I’m reminded of Emily Carr, another artist known for her landscapes, although her work has a darker, more brooding quality. Ultimately, what draws me to Namatjira’s painting is its openness. It’s more about feeling than seeing, a reminder that art is a conversation, not a lecture.