Gracie Pwerl Morton

Gracie Pwerl Morton began her career as an batik artist in the 1970’s with the Utopia Women’s Batik Group before transferring her designs onto canvas in the late 1980’s. In the works of Gracie Pwerl Morton one can readily see that the great strength and dynamism of the Utopian women artists that continues across the generations. Gracie’s delicate dotting and colour variation uses an aerial perspective to portray the seasonal changes of the Amwekety – the Bush Plum, a plant of great significance to the women of Gracie’s traditional country, Mosquito Bore.

The finesse of Gracie’s style creates a wonderful lyricism in her works. An Alyawarre woman from Utopia Station, approximately 250km north-east of Alice Springs, Gracie’s works are represented in major private collections such as The Robert Holmes a Court Collection in Western Australia. She exhibits regularly in Australia, more recently in a solo show titled ‘Mosquito Bore – The Art of the Minimalist’ at Ancient Earth Indigenous Art Gallery in Cairns and in a group exhibition at the Alliance Francaise de Canberra and French Embassy in Canberra.

Gracie Pwerl Morton – Bush Plum

The delightfully subtle paintings of the Amwekety – the Bush Plum, depict the changing seasonal influences on a plant that is of the greatest significance to the Alyawrre women of the Eastern Desert region of the Northern Territory.

Gracie Pwerl Morton is one of the senior traditional custodian for both the Altyerre (Dreaming) and the vast expanse of related country, some 263kms north of Alice Springs, Australia. In accordance to traditional law the responsibility for the Bush Plum Dreaming has been passed down to Gracie from her father and her aunt, who are responsible for ensuring that she perseveres its traditions.

The Bush Plum is a highly nutritious small fruit with black seeds, rich in vitamin C, that can be eaten raw or cooked. Growing in a great profusion of flower and fruit throughout the winter months, the women, accompanied by the children collect the Bush Plums, while at the same time reconfirming their connection to the land.

The flourish of colour that distinguishes the Bush Plum after the fall of rain, is quickly transformed with the long hot summer months. Dried and separated, the seed and husk are scatter over the vast sunbaked landscape by the hot summer winds.

The incredible finesse of Gracie’s style creates a wonderful lyricism in her works, causing a three-dimensionality that pulls at the eye guiding the viewer through the soft, outward-reaching fields of colour, while simultaneously transfixing one in its undulations.