What is it about bark paintings, do you think, that makes this medium so compelling to collectors? 

Bark paintings embody cultural knowledge, ancestral narratives and a profound and physical connection to Country. Each work allows us to clearly witness the immediacy of the artist’s hand and draughtsmanship. Harvested directly from the natural environment, each bark painting is unique. The bark is striped from Eucalyptus tetrodonta (stringybark) during the wet season, then cured over fire and flattened under weights. The earth pigments are created by extracting naturally occurring clay rich in iron oxide which are mixed with a binder. Each composition is informed by and responds to the beautiful irregularity of line inherent in the natural material.

Here, you have placed these works within a contemporary interior setting. What is it about this juxtaposition that you find interesting? 

The connection of the barks to the natural world is unmistakeable and this is never more apparent than in a contemporary interior setting.

In terms of building a collection, bark painting offers a point of difference to celebrate. The three-dimensional quality of bark creates a singular painting surface – one that carries the natural undulations and movement of the material culminating in a wonderful convergence of sculpture and painting.

Collections that are multi-layered and include a diverse range of practice and materials have a rewarding depth and richness. The introduction and placement of sculpture and sculptural objects in a room generates a compelling dialogue with the works they are in proximity to. Creating these relationships with disparate or similar works can be a great deal of fun.

L-R: Muŋgurrawuy Yunupiŋu, Untitled, circa 1959 | Artist Unknown, Untitled, circa 1958 | Nym Djimungurr, Lightning Spirit – Namakkon, circa 1950 | Mawalan Marika, Untitled, circa 1959

Can you tell us more about the sculptural figures?

We are delighted to present three figurative sculptures in this year’s presentation with exceptional provenance coming from the Estate of Tony Tuckson and Margaret Tuckson. Dorothy Bennett accompanied Tony Tuckson and Stuart Scougall in the late 1950s on their pioneering collecting trips on behalf of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. These works are in incredible condition and are a must see highlight of the exhibition.

Bark paintings are often intimate in scale, and accessible in price for many new collectors – what advice would you offer a collector considering purchasing a work on bark, in terms of caring for and displaying these unique, natural pieces?

For this exhibition we have chosen to present all the barks in a shallow black open box frame. The black ground provides an uninterrupted viewing space around the work whilst emphasising the line of the natural materials. It has the additional benefit of offering ease of hanging and transportation. Despite their often-delicate appearance barks are a sturdy and durable material.

Many of these works offer an opportune entry point for younger collectors and those beginning their collecting journey. Bark painting is gaining increasing interest from collectors internationally, as these works have an inherent ability to inform and create dialogue, enriching the most considered collections of Australian First Nations art.

Installation View | Photographed by Stephen Oxenbury

Lauren Harvey is Gallery Manager, Sydney. All works illustrated here are part of the current Bark Masters exhibition, currently on view at D Lan Galleries Sydney.