Jimmy Moduk
Australian Aboriginal Artist
Jimmy Moduk Other Spellings: Muduk, Jimi, Dalthangu Dob: 1942 Language: Marrangu Outstation Walkumbimirri Region: Ramingining, Central Arnhem Land Social Affiliations: Dhuwa Moiety, Balang Subsection
Medium/ Form:
Bark painting, ochres on bark, carved and painted hollow log coffin, didjeridu. Dupun, carving
Awards:
1993, Honorable Mention for Ramingining Artists, Australian Heritage Commission Art Award Exhibition, Old Parliament House Canberra [artist not named individually]
Collections:
Art Gallery and Museum, Kelvingrove, Glasgow.
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth.
Australian Museum, Sydney.
Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Germany.
Milingimbi Collection, MECA, Milingimbi Educational and Cultural Association.
Museum of Contemporary Art, Ramingining Collection, Sydney.
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
The Holmes a Court Collection, Perth.
Troppen Museum, Children's Museum section, Amsterdam
Exhibitions:
1984 Objects & Representations from Ramingining, Power Institute [now MCA], Sydney.
1984 Aboriginal Art, an Exhibition Presented by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra
1986 Painted Objects from Arnhem Land, University Drill Hall Gallery (Pod), Canberra, ACT.
1989 Aboriginal Art: The Continuing Tradition, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
1990 Keepers of the Secrets, Aboriginal Art from Arnhemland, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth 1990 Ramingining Art, Birukmarri Gallery, Fremantle.
1994 The Eleventh National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the NT
Select Bibliography:
Caruana, W., 1987, Australian Aboriginal Art, a Souvenir Book of Aboriginal Art in the Australian National Gallery, Australian National Gallery, Parkes, Australian Capital Territory. (C)
O'Ferrall, M., 1990, Keepers of the Secrets, Aboriginal Art from Arnhemland in the Collection of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth. (C)
1983, Australian Perspecta 1983, A Biennial Survey of Contemporary Australian Art, exhib. cat., Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. (C)
Courtesy of � Discovery Media, Documentation Pty Ltd, and the Australian
Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and Bulla Bulla Arts
Details
I don't remember where I was born but my mother and father told me that I was born here at Murrwangi. My family was living on the mainland in the bush. Sometimes we would go to the mission at Milingimbi for shopping and to sell art and craft or crocodile skins. My father Djuwarlarra ( 1 ) who died at Milingimbi.
He went to school when I was little. We lived at Ngarrawundhu near the present-day hospital. I had my dapi here at Milingimbi. Me and Johnny Batarrk little brother (Weyli - dec.) here. M/s Lowe taught me and Mr. Fidock, and yolngu - Charlie Mayntjarri. Don was in my class and Michael Gadjawali. My uncle Jimmy L,jamunba took me to Mainarou to work as a stockman - really at Mountain Valley. I worked with Rembarrnga people you know that August (?) from Malyanganak well his father was working cooking. One day I got hurt off a horse and went to Darwin to hospital. I got a job at Qantas then the airport in Darwin. Me and Wally (Lipuwanga) and Brian (Nyinawanga) and Jacky (Guningu tribe). We bin working there, a lot of people Milingimbi, Maningrida.
Some worked at the Air Force getting training, some at Qantas. I was living near the airport, near Bagot. When I finished at Darwin I went back and worked at Maningrida - the same as a stockman with a balanda called Danny Watson - Johnny Mayarra (dec.) and Johnny Bulun Bulun and Ray Munyal. First time we brought the cattle to Maningrida from Beswick and then took them back. They were kept near the airport and buffalo too. I started painting then at Maningrida. When I bin finish work then I bin started painting there. Jacky Mirrtji taught me to paint. We started to paint me and Don Gundinga, keep trying, painting, painting, painting.
Back in the Ramingining area I worked at Murrwangi until it closed. Malcolm Armstrong, Alan Baker, Neville Hoadly. I give up cattle work when Malcolm left and I kept painting. My first Gunapipi after hospital and then Qantas I went to Gunapipi in the bush at Ten Mile and we finished at Pine Creek. There were yolngu from here my families, Don and Dick, Ronnie and old man from Gamedi (Jacky) and old man Charlie Marapiny. All from Darwin and from here from Oenpelli and from here. Gakawarr was from Oenpelli. A long way by foot walk.