Mountain Devil Dreaming 1994

Kathleen Petyarre, around the mid to late 20th century, made this painting called “Mountain Devil Dreaming” with acrylic on linen. It's like, can you imagine doing all those dots? The texture is just hypnotic. Fields of tiny off-white dots surround bands of yellow, that almost feel textural, like sand. It's cool how the surface shimmers between browns, golds and creams. Look at the way the dots gather and flow, creating this optical illusion. Each tiny mark feels so deliberate, like a meditation, a slow dance, but then all together they vibrate and buzz. There's something about the sheer physicality of the paint, and the rhythm of mark-making, which reminds me a little of Agnes Martin. You can almost feel Petyarre's hand moving across the canvas, guided by the story of the Mountain Devil. It’s less about a specific image and more about the energy and the dreaming itself.