MARTAKULU, 2008
© courtesy of the artist and Short Street Gallery
137
LYDIA BALBAL
born c.1958
MARTAKULU, 2008
synthetic polymer paint on canvas
122.0 x 70.0 cm
bears inscription verso: artist's name, date, medium, size and Short Street Gallery cat. 24311
Estimate:
$3,000 – 4,000
Provenance
Short Street Gallery, Broome
Private collection, Sydney
This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Short Street Gallery that states: ‘Martakulu is a soak near Punmu near the Canning Stock Route in the Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia. It is strong womans [sic] country, it is part of the women’s law line. Long time ago a law man he come up to this country, he went home and left his wife and baby. They make him fire and sit down, cook mayi (food) and then started to cry for her husband. Her tears that soak. It is important country this one.’