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Barbara Weir: A Life in Art

Introduction

Barbara Weir (c1945 – 2023) was one of the most collected, widely travelled, and published Indigenous artists, earning an international reputation that secured her a spot in the ‘TOP100 List’ of Indigenous artists. Her career was marked by numerous exhibitions both within Australia and overseas, reflecting her significance in the contemporary art world.

International Acclaim and Exhibitions

Weir’s initial recognition on the international stage came with exhibitions in Paris and Switzerland in 1996. Following this, her work was featured in exhibitions across Japan, the USA, Mexico, and Fiji. Her first Australian solo show, “Dreamworks”, was a sellout, setting the tone for a successful career. Barbara frequently travelled abroad to showcase and discuss her work, earning her a reputation as perhaps the most widely travelled painter in Australian art history.

Background and Early Life

Barbara Weir was born around 1945 at Bundy River Station in the Utopia region, north-east of Alice Springs. She was the daughter of Irish station owner Jack Weir and Minnie Pwerle, herself a renowned Utopia painter. The 1950s saw welfare officers patrolling Utopia, seeking to protect mixed heritage children. To evade them, Barbara was hidden from the age of two and spent seven years with her aunty, the famous Emily Kngwarreye, who ‘grew her up’ in Indigenous terms.

At age nine, Barbara was taken to Bungalow (now the ‘Telegraph Station’) in Alice Springs and later to other children’s homes around the country. .

Artistic Development

Upon her return, Barbara resumed her relationship with her aunty Emily and first became involved with the batik movement at Utopia, later transitioning to painting. Utopia, an area known for its remarkable artists, provided a nurturing environment for Barbara’s artistic growth. Although she learned by observing those around her, Emily Kngwarreye’s influence is evident in Barbara’s free-flowing, loose paint application. Nevertheless, Barbara developed her own subject matter, most notably her ‘grass’ paintings, which distinguished her from her peers. She consistently experimented with different images and painting methods, demonstrating high originality and inventiveness. In doing so, she contributed significantly to Utopia’s reputation as a centre of Indigenous art.

Personal Life and Artistic Milestones

Barbara’s marriage ended in 1977, after which she returned permanently to Utopia with her six children. Her return coincided with the growing batik movement among women in the community, which proved fortuitous for Barbara as she embarked on a new artistic career at the age of 32.

Her painting career truly flourished in 1994, following a trip to Indonesia to explore batik. This journey inspired her to pursue painting more seriously. After a period of figurative and traditional work, her style evolved into more symbolic and abstract forms. Her depicted Dreamings included Bush Berry, My Mother’s Country, and Grass Seed, the latter becoming as iconic as Gloria Petyarre’s ‘Medicine Leaf Dreaming’. These Dreamings, associated with ceremonial women’s body decoration and food gathering, are rooted in traditional Indigenous women’s experiences, such as collecting bush tucker like seeds, berries, plums, and yams.

Signature Works and Artistic Approach

Food gathering, a central aspect of Indigenous women’s lives, was an experience Barbara lived as a child and again as an adult in Utopia. The grass seed—known as Lyaw, Munyeroo, or Pigsweed—became a dominant image in her art, representing sustenance for her people across generations. Her paintings depict the grass in various states: burning, regrowing after fire, and thriving in lush periods. The rhythmic swaying of the grass inspired original, captivating paintings that gain depth when the underlying stories are revealed.

Another significant image in her body of work is the evocative “My Mother’s Country”, which, often repeated, embodies the abstract qualities that define her later art. Since 2004, Barbara has been regarded as a ‘painter’s painter’, displaying mastery of brushwork, form, and colour. Her work is recognised within the mainstream of contemporary art, not just as Indigenous art. This distinction underscores Barbara’s achievement in being celebrated as a painter on a global stage, transcending the boundaries often imposed on Indigenous artists.

Recognition and Legacy

Barbara Weir’s story reflects the changing attitudes towards Indigenous Australians from the 1950s to the 1990s. Her emergence as a painter coincided with a boom in Indigenous art sales, and her unique style, paired with a remarkable personal journey as a member of the Stolen Generation, has captured the imagination of collectors and art lovers alike. Today, she is remembered as a world traveller, an ambassador for her people, and one of the most collected Indigenous artists of all time.