Available Artworks
Rover (Julama) Thomas
The Eaglehawk & The Crow - 1996
natural earth pigments on Belgian linen
60 x 90 cm
Estimate Upon Request
MP #504
Provenance
Narrangunny Art Traders, WA Cat No. N-0282-RT
Private Collection, WA
signed 'Rover' verso
60 x 90 cm
64 x 94 cm (frame)
Rover Thomas was born at Koonawaratji, near Well 33 on the Canning Stock Route in the Western Desert region of Western Australia. As a young boy, he lived ‘the old way’ in the bush, hunting and gathering desert food with his family. At 11 years of age, Rover was taken by the drover Wally Dowling to Bililuna at the top of the Canning Stock Route, and late to Bow River and Texas Downs, near Warmun, where he honed his droving and fencing skills.
Having been accepted by the Kija people as one of their own, Rover underwent tribal initiation and was given the skin name Joolama in the East Kimberley region, far to the north of his own country. In the late 1970s Rover became the founder of the East Kimberley painting movement.
The story that accompanies this work reads: Eaglehawk, (koondooroo), is watching Crow (wonjanali), to ensure that he doesn’t get to the heart of dead Kangaroo, (malu malu,) as that is eaglehawk’s favourite food (mungari).