Kathleen Petyarre (born c1940) Eastern Anmatyerr | The late Rodney Gooch (1949-2002) gifted his personal collection of some 400 works from the Central Desert (predominantly Utopia) to the Art Museum in 2002. Upon donation he requested the collection be ‘worn out’ and used as a tool for education. In light of this, FUAM Director, Fiona Salmon curated Gooch’s Utopia: collected works from the Central Desert, which toured nationally with the aid of funding from Visions of Australia between 2008 and 2011. Rodney Gooch was art advisor and then independent agent to Anmatyerr, Eastern Anmatyerr and Alyawarr artists spanning a period of 15 years, from late 1987 until his untimely death in 2002. The charismatic Gooch was deeply engaged with the production and sale of art from Utopia to the wider world, leaving in his wake an indelible mark in the field of Australian Aboriginal Art. Most of the works from his personal collection were created by artists with whom Gooch established close friendships and enduring commercial connections. Gooch’s personal collection includes works by Kathleen Petyarre, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Gloria Tamerre Petyarre, Katy Kemarre and Lindsay Bird Mpetyane and covers the mediums of acrylic painting, printmaking, batik and sculpture. Gooch’s collection also includes key artists from Papunya Tula such as Billy Stockman, Harper Tjungurrayi Morris and Yala Yala Tjungurrayi. |
