Jimmy Pike (1940-2002) is recognised internationally as one of Australia's best landscape artists. As his artwork shares stories of Indigenous Australian history and its influence from Europeans settlers. His valuable contemporary legacy lives on, as the Indigenous Australian artist whom captured the transformation of his home land through painting and design.
Jimmy Pike was born in the Great Sandy Desert, Kimberley in Western Australia. Where he spent his early life hunting and gathering with his family and moving from waterhole to waterhole with the seasons. During these years he learned ceremony, mythology and knowledge of specific sites in Walmajarri country (his homeland) (Tandanya, 2013).
As a boy he enjoyed carving and etching within his community, however it wasn't until his first contact with Europeans when he begun to make money from his artistic skill. Life drastically changed for Pike when he began working for Europeans as a stockman. The traditions of his culture seemed no longer valuable until he realised he could utilised his artistic skills by making boomerangs, spears, clubs and shields, and incising them with designs indicating ancestral tracks and Walmajarri stories. These were sold through local outlets and to European visitors (Laurie, 2012).
In 1967 Australian laws gave rights to the Indigenous, allowing them the long awaited freedom to vote, equal wages and the right to drink alcohol. Alcohol took a damaging effect on Pike as he met with trouble on numerous occasions. After multiple accounts of breaking the law, Pike was soon sentence to the Fremantle Prison in 1980 for murder. During his time at prison Pike began to draw and paint. He attended art classes that were part of the Prisons Department Art Program and taught by Steven Culley and David Wroth.
Many of Pike's artworks were painted from an aerial view, mapping geographical landscapes. He used symbolic meaning in his design to represent key historical and/or cultural elements and events. After 18 months service in prison Pike was introduced to linocut printing. Then in 1984, Pike's linocuts were transferred to screen and were first shown at a solo exhibition at Aboriginal Artists Gallery, Melbourne, in 1985. In the same year Pike began to produce colour screen prints, "still reliant on plain areas and linear marks derived from sand drawings" (NGV, 2013). To him, painting was a job, the means to an independent life, as he candidly stated, "I work for money".
After his release from prison he served his parol back in the Great Sandy Desert. Pike kept in contact with the prison counsellor Pat Lowe and soon feel in love. Together they published numerous picture books, as Pike illustrated and told stories of the land, his culture and its history, Lowe narrated.
Pike artworks were known to "communicate strong law, recent events and concrete elements of desert living" and this was soon captured as he was invited to be apart of numerous exhibitions of Aboriginal art including L'Eté Australien à Montpellier, Musée Fabre, France, 1990; Images of Power: Aboriginal Art of the Kimberley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1993. Then in 1996, a major solo exhibition of the artist's work was held at the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth.
Pike work continued to receive recognition globally as he was approach by Desert Design whom converted his screen prints into clothing. The clothing range is available internationally and has been modelled by various media icons. The clothing range is still available today and priced in accordance to the effort and skill behind the design as well as the individualised message each piece conceives.
It was in 2002 that Pike passed away, due to suffering from diabetes. Although, his valuable contemporary legacy lives on through his artworks, his books as well each piece of clothing design comes with a story and message.
Collections
Art Gallery of New South Wales Sydney NSW
Art Gallery of South Australia Adelaide SA
Art gallery of Western Australia Perth WA
Australian Museum Sydney NSW
Flinders University Art Museum Adelaide SA
Gold Coast City Gallery Queensland
Museum & Art Gallery Northern Territory
National Gallery Canberra ACT
National Gallery Victoria Melbourne VICT
Parliament House Canberra ACT
Robert Holmes a Court Collection Perth WA
Jimmy Pike was born in the Great Sandy Desert, Kimberley in Western Australia. Where he spent his early life hunting and gathering with his family and moving from waterhole to waterhole with the seasons. During these years he learned ceremony, mythology and knowledge of specific sites in Walmajarri country (his homeland) (Tandanya, 2013).
As a boy he enjoyed carving and etching within his community, however it wasn't until his first contact with Europeans when he begun to make money from his artistic skill. Life drastically changed for Pike when he began working for Europeans as a stockman. The traditions of his culture seemed no longer valuable until he realised he could utilised his artistic skills by making boomerangs, spears, clubs and shields, and incising them with designs indicating ancestral tracks and Walmajarri stories. These were sold through local outlets and to European visitors (Laurie, 2012).
In 1967 Australian laws gave rights to the Indigenous, allowing them the long awaited freedom to vote, equal wages and the right to drink alcohol. Alcohol took a damaging effect on Pike as he met with trouble on numerous occasions. After multiple accounts of breaking the law, Pike was soon sentence to the Fremantle Prison in 1980 for murder. During his time at prison Pike began to draw and paint. He attended art classes that were part of the Prisons Department Art Program and taught by Steven Culley and David Wroth.
Many of Pike's artworks were painted from an aerial view, mapping geographical landscapes. He used symbolic meaning in his design to represent key historical and/or cultural elements and events. After 18 months service in prison Pike was introduced to linocut printing. Then in 1984, Pike's linocuts were transferred to screen and were first shown at a solo exhibition at Aboriginal Artists Gallery, Melbourne, in 1985. In the same year Pike began to produce colour screen prints, "still reliant on plain areas and linear marks derived from sand drawings" (NGV, 2013). To him, painting was a job, the means to an independent life, as he candidly stated, "I work for money".
After his release from prison he served his parol back in the Great Sandy Desert. Pike kept in contact with the prison counsellor Pat Lowe and soon feel in love. Together they published numerous picture books, as Pike illustrated and told stories of the land, his culture and its history, Lowe narrated.
Pike artworks were known to "communicate strong law, recent events and concrete elements of desert living" and this was soon captured as he was invited to be apart of numerous exhibitions of Aboriginal art including L'Eté Australien à Montpellier, Musée Fabre, France, 1990; Images of Power: Aboriginal Art of the Kimberley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1993. Then in 1996, a major solo exhibition of the artist's work was held at the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth.
Pike work continued to receive recognition globally as he was approach by Desert Design whom converted his screen prints into clothing. The clothing range is available internationally and has been modelled by various media icons. The clothing range is still available today and priced in accordance to the effort and skill behind the design as well as the individualised message each piece conceives.
It was in 2002 that Pike passed away, due to suffering from diabetes. Although, his valuable contemporary legacy lives on through his artworks, his books as well each piece of clothing design comes with a story and message.
Collections
Art Gallery of New South Wales Sydney NSW
Art Gallery of South Australia Adelaide SA
Art gallery of Western Australia Perth WA
Australian Museum Sydney NSW
Flinders University Art Museum Adelaide SA
Gold Coast City Gallery Queensland
Museum & Art Gallery Northern Territory
National Gallery Canberra ACT
National Gallery Victoria Melbourne VICT
Parliament House Canberra ACT
Robert Holmes a Court Collection Perth WA