Biography

Warlpiri, b. 1968 Geraldine Napurrurla Langdon is a Warlpiri artist associated with Yuendumu in the Northern Territory. She was born in Alice Springs Hospital in 1968 and moved to Yuendumu as a teenager, where she completed her schooling. She is the daughter of Amy Napaljarri Dixon and the granddaughter of Liddy Napanangka Walker, a major Warlpiri artist. Geraldine began painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation in 1996. Dreaming & Country: Ngurlu Jukurrpa / Native Seed Dreaming Geraldine is closely associated with Ngurlu Jukurrpa, or Native Seed Dreaming. She also paints inherited Warlpiri stories including Janganpa Jukurrpa / Bushtail Possum Dreaming, Lukarrara Jukurrpa / Desert Fringe-rush Seed Dreaming, and Yarla Jukurrpa / Bush Potato Dreaming. These stories are connected to her father’s Country and to the plants, animals and features of Warlpiri land. Style and Technique Geraldine’s paintings often use repeated dotting, patterned fields and clear directional movement. In her Native Seed works, the surface is usually organised through clustered marks and travelling lines that refer to seed-bearing plants and the movement of Country. Her compositions sit within the Warlukurlangu tradition while using colour and pattern with a distinctly contemporary clarity. Geraldine’s Palette Geraldine works with an unrestricted palette, often using strong colour across pinks, oranges, reds, blues, greens, yellows, whites and dark grounds. Colour is used to separate plant forms, pathways and surrounding Country. For the Collector Geraldine Napurrurla Langdon paints through Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, the Aboriginal-owned art centre at Yuendumu. Her work is represented by galleries including Artitja Fine Art, Kate Owen Gallery and Spirit Gallery. Her paintings continue Warlpiri Jukurrpa associated with Yuendumu, including Native Seed, Bushtail Possum, Desert Fringe-rush Seed and Bush Potato Dreaming.