Wiebke Brix, Head of Art, speaks with Ben Danks, collector of Indigenous art and former assistant manager of Papunya Tula Artists Pty Ltd.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you first became involved with Indigenous art?
I arrived in Alice Springs in the late 1990’s, looking for work and adventure. I quickly found both. I was employed by the Northern Territory Dept of Arts and Museums, at the Araluen Centre, I worked at Araluen for 5 years finishing as the head of the Visual Arts Department.
At Araluen I was involved in organising Desert Mob, an annual important showcase of works from 30 plus indigenous art centres across central Australia and the Top End. Working on DesertMob connected me with Indigenous art Centres throughout the desert and across the north of the country.
In 2002, I was approached to work for Papunya Tula Artists Pty Ltd. Daphne Williams, a legend within the Aboriginal art world and long-term manager of the company, was preparing to retire, and my life was about to change. It was an intense and vibrant working environment. A young and passionate team of colleagues, employed by Western desert artists to take care of logistics and promote the artwork from that small shop front to an international audience.
The work would take us from the remote, red Sandhills of the desert, to upmarket galleries and institutions in cities around the country and the world.
What was your role at Papunya Tula Artists, and how did your experience there shape your understanding of Indigenous art and culture?
I was employed in the role of Assistant Manager. The company had its administrative Headquarters and public facing operations in Alice Springs, but the heart, soul and artistic output were 500 and 700 kilometres West in Walungurru (Kintore) and Kiwirrkura, on the traditional lands of the Pintupi.
I saw my job as being a conduit or interface between Pintupi artists and their growing audience. I was fascinated by the artwork being produced in the Western Desert.
Pintupi had a very strong sense of and connection to their culture. Their language and traditional ceremonies were and are, central to their existence. Company employees were surrounded by all of this, during the highs and lows of day-to-day life in the Western Desert. The experience changed my life.
© Walangkura Napanangka/Copyright Agency, 2025
How did you come to assemble this particular collection, and what guided your choices in selecting the works?
It’s been an amazing journey, and these works have been collected along the way. Often, I was there when a painting was created or when the latest paintings came in from “out bush” and the memories of that time and the people come flooding back when I see these works again.
I would be influenced by a respect or affection that I had for an artist. That combined with what I felt was a great painting. Those things would heavily influence my collecting.
Are there any particular artists or pieces in the collection that hold special significance for you?
Each work sparks memories for me. They all take me back to a place and time. By way of example, the large painting by Johnny Yungut Tjupurrula conjures up a memory:
I had driven from Alice Springs to Walungurru (Kintore) and arrived mid-afternoon to find a friend and colleague tidying up after a busy day. Everyone had gone except Tjupurula who sat on the floor painting. There was clearly a mutual respect between these two.
The usually hectic art centre was quiet and still. This rare occurrence was enhanced by the fact that my six hour drive on the corrugated Kintore road, had ended. After stepping out of a noisy Landcruiser, my body was no longer being shaken around.
A delightful calm hung in the air. With the softening late afternoon light, the light only Central Australia can deliver, we hung Tjupurrula’s painting on the wall and it seemed to radiate from within. Gentle and powerful, all at once.
There are two works in the collection by Walankura Napanangka. She had lost the use of her legs and got around on a three wheeled trolley, through the dust and the heat. Napanangka had an incredibly challenging existence, however she was resilient and incredibly positive. She was truly an inspiration.
What themes or stories are central to the collection, and how do they reflect the cultural heritage of the artists?
This group of works have been brought together through a series of factors. A combination of my “eye”, my knowledge of, or relationship with the artist and being in the right place at the right time.
Most of these works are from Central Australia. As a result, the stories tend to relate to the landscape. They tell how elements in the landscape came into being and crucially, they are often maps and instructions, on how to move through the country. Desert paintings often have a focus on the location of water sources and how to get to them. They serve a very practical purpose.
Can you speak to the importance of the Papunya Tula Artists community in the broader context of Indigenous art in Australia?
Papunya Tula Artists Pty Ltd, holds a unique place in Australian art history. I am not aware of another Aboriginal art centre, owned by the artists, in this way. The artists are shareholders. The company made a profit and paid dividends to the shareholders annually with no external funding. This gave the artists and the company the ability to work independently. They were not beholden to an external funding source. I was always passionate and proud about that. The company prospered and this was a testament to the quality of work being produced.
Looking back on your journey, what has been the most memorable moment or interaction with an artist or artwork?
There are so many memorable moments. From preparing ochres and searching knee deep in the mangroves for mud crabs with the artist of Jilamara, on the Tiwi Islands, to travelling with Pintupi artists to exhibitions in far-flung countries.
From falling asleep to the distant music of a desert gospel band, playing into the wee wee hours and waking up to the howling desert wind, rattling the windows in the old house in Walanguru. To those all too rare moments, sitting quietly with an older artist as unimpeded, they tap into something greater than the here and now and from a place far beyond themselves, they sing up the Tjukurpa and simultaneously as the song is sung, the painting emerges. There’s a lot to be grateful for.
Ben Dank’s collection of Indigenous art will be offered in a timed online capsule in July 2025.
By Wiebke Brix, Head of Art
Top Image: (detail) Johnny Yungut Tjupurrula, JY0402125, 153 x 122cm. $7,000-9,000. © Johnny Yungut Tjupurrula/ Copyright Agency, 2025
May 2025