iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

The late Paddy Fordham Wainburranga might be a familiar name to some, he was recorded in 1961-62 by LaMont West for the Arnhem Land Popular Classics LP where he can be heard playing didgeridoo. He later went on to become an accomplished artist, winning the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 1993. Paddy sadly passed away in June 2006, rest in peace old man.

Here's a video of him from a while ago for those who might not know his face. He will be a name that will be remembered for a long time.



Guan

Legendary really.

I'd love to have one of his barks. The canvas works are alright but don't have the richness and detail that his earlier barks do.

You aren't the only one, friend!

Jason

How much do you want to pay guys?

I don't like the canvas paintings at all from the latter part of his career, they were churned out like dot paintings from Central Australia.

Guan

Pay? I thought you'd give me one as a gift along with that stick you've got by him that I should've got years ago when I had the chance!

Hi Kyle,

Ok, ok, stop twisting my arm, let me know your address and I'll send you one of Paddy's bark paintings.

If only I had one! I've seen them around and have been tempted to buy a couple in the past, but kinda chickened out at the last moment. Nowadays I can't afford them as they've gone through the roof in price in the past 2-3 years. I know where there are some though, so if anyone is serious about it, I can direct you to the relevant persons. They aren't cheap, be warned!

I did have a beautiful Paddy Fordham wooden sculpture, I bought it fairly cheaply and sold it cheaply too, in hindsight I should have held on to it as it was a gorgeous piece and one for keeps, only problem was that it was so large, well over 2 metres tall, and didn't suit where I am staying.

Pic attached of the sculpture I had. Kinda miss it now, if only...

Guan

hey Guan!

isn't that cut of video from "Too many Captain Cooks"?? I have this vid-short doco and I believe this cut is the beginning of it, but can't check now... Quite a funny-strange vid by the way, i think it only goes on for 15 min, the time he paints the bark and tells the story, plus his particular interpretation of the story...

quite a funny man, very quick and sharp, plus a "renaissance-sorta-leonardo" man, like other important aboriginal old men... I got the honour of meeting him when i was beginning my experience in didjeridu and aboriginal culture worlds... i never took him very seriously because i was such an ignorant (and young!), i thought he couldn't really play althougth he said he needed some of his teeth back... and today i only wish i could go back in time and spend as much time as i could with him again, but with the (little more) knowledge i have today!!!! what a man, what a character, what a dancer, what a singer, what a player, etc, etc, etc

Yup, that's the one, quite an interesting video.

I met Paddy and George Djunggunwanga when I was studying, I was a bit shy and alcohol was around too which put me off so didn't get to know them well. But George is doing well apparently at his outstation and the tourism business they have out there with a friend of the family from France, Francois Giner his name is I think, didn't someone ask about this on the forum sometime ago?

Guan

I got these 2 barks as part of a collection which I couldn't really pinpoint as far as where they might be from. I thought maybe Port Keats even though they are not of the typical oval shape, maybe Katherine-Victoria Downs region. But now, talking about Paddy, there is slight resemblance to some of this bark paintings especially with the dotting, though in terms of subject matter there is a vast disparity. What do you reckon Kyle? There's a third one which is even more esoteric with an abstract design, can't really make out what it is but it has the same dotting effect. Tiwi maybe?

Guan

I'd say they're affiliated with Western Arnhem Land due to the universal background and figurative approach. I've seen similar works at Bill's place in Paddington (Sydney) and in some old exhibition catalogues. The snake one does remind me more of work from NCAL however, but that is only in the rendering of the dotted decoration.

One of the auction house fellas might have an idea as far as attributing them to any artists is concerned, but I'd say that they're from WAL or an affiliated area.

Nice old barks either way!

Hey Kyle,

Thanks for the tip, very kind of you! I did ask one guy and he reckoned Tiwi Islands, but I didn't really think so.

Here's the 3rd bark painting. Could it be yams?! I thought perhaps WAL but I also thought that there would be cross-hatching. Croker Island maybe? I agree with your thoughts about the snake painting, it looks similar to old pieces from Milingimbi. But the other 2 don't, and all 3 barks look very similar in their preparation - jagged edges, the back of the barks also very similar and are unmarked and undocumented. Hmmm...

The reason I thought Port Keats is that they don't do cross-hatching there.

Pretty late now so will take a break from a long day, long week actually. Catch ya tomorrow in the "New Year"!

Guan

That certainly adds to the mix! I'd still say they're WAL as they remind me of the dot work used on Beswick magos in the 70s. Perhaps they were a throwback to this earlier style.