Queenie McKenzie

This piece was collected by Neil McLeod at Warmun in 1995 as one of a group of 14 paintings. Queenie was not about at the time and Neil bought them from the caretaker of the Warmun Pensioners Unit. Neil was told the particular place depicted is called Doogorenyinem. This is on the back of the work along with Queenie’s signature. Notes by Euan Hills, Art Mob, 2008: The style of Queenie’s work in this painting is very typical of Queenie’s and the Gija artists works of the East Kimberley with a minimal approach. Her distinctive ochre colours are present. Perspective is created with the 3 rows of geographical features. Whilst many of these features would be recognisable to those familiar with this part of the Kimberley, the middle row shows similar imagery to that depicted in AM 1479/03. At the left the hills with the 2 valleys shows the Daiwul (Barramundi) Dreaming site – now the Argyle Diamond Mine. The 2 black pillars in the middle are probably Pompeii Pillar and the brown item at the far right is probably the cave where the body of Queenie McKenzie & Rover Thomas’s son was put after he was killed in a car accident. This row is effectively the road from Warmun (Turkey Creek) to the headwaters of the Bow River at the Argyle Diamond Mine.