Deutscher and Hackett

'Through his intense scrutiny of specific places and his sensitive response to their individual qualities, Albert Namatjira enables us to seethe Centre as a multifaceted region of Australia, which defies the series of stereotypes developed by successive generations of Australians to sustain their own fantasies and fears. A region of extremes, Central Australia is far from the dead heart. Contrary to misconceptions, water is a powerful presence. It is the central dynamic for change. Its absence or presence is the source for much of the diversity of visual forms and motifs that engaged Namatjira throughout his painting career. The 'red heart' is equally a misnomer for a land in which light and distance are also key factors that shape perception, fragment forms and transform colour. Namatjira developed a rich repertoire of compositional devices to express his experience of being in this world. In so doing, he expands our vision. He opens our eyes and our senses to new ways of seeing the Centre.

Land was the centre of Namatjira's being and his vision. Through his many paintings he prompts us to consider how this may equally be so for us. This was his achievement...'¹

1. French, A., Seeing the Centre: The Art of Albert Namatjira 1902-1959, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 2002, p. 1