Paddy Carlton

Paddy was born in country called Goordamankoo on Legune Station in the Northern Territory just over the Western Australia border. Paddy is a senior elder or law man in his community. He grew up in the 20’s and 30’s which was known as the wild times when white station hands and police were shooting Aboriginal people. Paddy worked on a number of stations as a stockman and takes his gadiya (European) surname from Carlton Hill Station. Paddy remembers participating in cave painting and being taught painting techniques by his elders in the country around Legune and Bullo River Stations. Paddy works hard to keep the culture of his father and grandfather alive through painting, carving and storytelling.

Paddy remembers participating in cave painting as a young man and uses many of the same techniques in his work today.

In describing his work he has said: ‘My father and the old people taught me how to paint when I was young. I painted on cave walls and
did body painting for ceremonies and dancing … I like to paint , it
gives me a good feeling in my heart … I do this so that my people can
know the stories … so that those stories won’t get lost’.

His paintings reflect the richness of his culture and his love of his
traditional country. Paddy is the key artist and mentor for Waringarri
Arts.
Subject & Themes
Saltwater water crocodile, eagle, king brown, lightning men, rock wallaby, bush turkey, turtle, road train.
Collections
Artbank, Sydney.
National Gallery of Victoria.
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
Individual Exhibitions
2001 Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Vic.
2003 Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Vic.
Group Exhibitions
1990 Balance 1990: views, visions,influences, Queensland Art Gallery Brisbane Qld.
1991 Aboriginal Artists Gallery, Brisbane Qld
1991 Birukmarri Gallery, Fremantle WA.
1992 Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne Vic
1993 Images of Power, Aboriginal Art of the Kimberley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Vic
1993 Kimberley Art, Melbourne Vic
1994 Australian Heritage Commission National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Old Parliament House Canberra ACT
1994 Power of the Land, Masterpieces of Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Vic
1994 Art of the Rainbow Snake, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Vic
1994 Adelaide Installations, Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art, Adelaide SA
1994 Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs NT
1994 Kimberley Art, Melbourne Vic
1994 Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle WA
1994 Tandanya, Adelaide SA
1994 Canberra Grammar School, Canberra ACT
1995 Fremantle Print Award, Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle WA
1995 Savode Gallery, Brisbane Qld
1995 East Kimberley Art Award, Kununurra WA
1996 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin NT
1997 Exposition Collective, L’Art des Aborigines d’Australie, Arts d’ Australie, Stephan Jacob/ Galerie de Stassart, Bruxelles
1997 Exposition Collective, L’Art des Aborigines d’Australie, Arts d’ Australie, Stephan Jacob/ Espace Paul Riquet, Beziers
1997 Hogarth Gallery, Sydney NSW
1997 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin NT
1998 Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle WA
1999 East Kimberley Art Awards, Kununurra WA
2000 Exposition Collective, L’Art des Aborigines d’Australie, Arts d’ Australie, Stephan Jacob/ Espace Mezzo – Avenue des Champs-Elysees, Paris
2000 Exposition Collective, Accents Australiens, Arts d’ Australie, Stephan Jacob/ Espace Adamski Designs, Paris
2000 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin NT
2001 Exposition Collective, Dixieme Biennale Internationale de la Gravure, Arts d’ Australie, Stephan Jacob/Sarcelles
2001 All About Art, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Vic
2002 Warrgeberankoo, Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle WA
2002 Heyson Prize, Adelaide SA
2003 Moon – One Icon Many Stories, Arthouse Gallery, Sydney NSW
2003 Waterhole, Grant Pirrie, Sydney NSW
Bibliography
Aboriginal Artists of Western Australia, [n.d.] – [folios of works and biographies]
Aboriginal Education Resources Unit, WA.
Ryan, J., 1993, Images of Power, Aboriginal Art of the Kimberley, exhib, cat., National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. (C)