Top: Detail of "Wild Bush Flowers -- Alpita," 1995, acrylic on linen,
by Gloria Tamerre Petyarre.
Bottom: Detail of untitled acrylic on linen, 2005, by Ningura Napurrula

UTSA gallery presents aboriginal art collection

By Ashley Harris
Public Affairs Specialist

(Jan. 28, 2008)--The UTSA Department of Art and Art History will present "The Lam Collection of Aboriginal Art," an exhibit featuring work by contemporary Australian aboriginal artists, from Wednesday, Jan. 30 to Sunday, March 2 in the Arts Building gallery on the 1604 Campus. Curated by Scott Sherer, UTSA assistant professor of art and art history, the exhibition is free and open to the public.

An opening reception is 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 30 in the gallery. Free parking is available in lot 8 during the reception.

The exhibit includes works from Arhhelmland, the Tiwi Islands, the Kimberley and the central desert regions that exemplify centuries-old legacies and personal visions. Characterized by intricate patterns of finely drafted lines and countless layers of dots, the art makes use of a wide range of earth tones ground from natural ochres and brightly colored acrylic pigments.

Images in the exhibit include abstract symbols, depictions of plants and animals, and representations of natural cycles in the landscape. Themes represent the complex relationships between the elements of nature, the landscape, human life and the deeds of the Ancestral Spirits of Dreamtime.

Recently, aboriginal art has received global recognition for interweaving aesthetic inventiveness, respect for cultural traditions and active discussion of the role of the arts in daily life and in the historical record.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday and 1-4 p.m., Saturday-Sunday.

For more information, contact Laura Crist at (210) 458-4391.