On September 17, Pérez Art Museum Miami will present a major exhibition of Aboriginal contemporary art, featuring the work of nine trailblazing artists who were inspired by their ancient cultural traditions to forge one of the most dynamic painting movements of recent times. The exhibition, No Boundaries: Aboriginal Australian Contemporary Abstract Painting, will be comprised of more than 75 paintings, created between 1992 and 2012.

The turn of the 21st century was a moment of extraordinary experimentation and innovation in Australian Aboriginal contemporary art. Across the country, artists transformed their traditional iconographies into more abstract styles of mark making. The nine artists featured in No Boundaries were at the forefront of this movement. Each artist was a respected senior Lawman, knowledgeable in every aspect of Aboriginal ceremonial traditions. As skilled artists, they turned this knowledge into dynamic contemporary art, which can stand up next to works by artists such as Gerhard Richter, Julie Mehretu, Sean Scully and Mark Grotjahn.

Created at the frontier where Indigenous and Western cultures meet, their paintings speak across cultures, a reminder that contemporary art comes from all corners of the globe. This exhibition offers the very first opportunity for U.S. audiences to view these nine artists’ works in depth, featuring a stunning selection from each period in their careers.

No Boundaries: Aboriginal Australian Contemporary Abstract Painting originated at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, Nevada and was organized by William Fox, Director, Center for Art and Environment, and scholar Henry Skerritt. The exhibition is drawn from the collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl. 

Related programs

Art Talk: Powerful Presence in Australian Aboriginal Painting

Saturday, September 19, 2pm
Join us for an afternoon panel discussion, which will explore themes in No Boundaries: Aboriginal Australian Contemporary Abstract Painting and frame Australian Aboriginal painting in the context of contemporary art history. Moderated by Associate Curator Diana Nawi, panelists include Henry F. Skerritt, art historian; William L. Fox, director of the Center and Enviroment at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno; and Paul Sweeney, General Manager of the Papunya Tula artist collective in Alice Springs, Australia.

Free with museum admission. Space is limited. First come, first seated. more

About the artists

One of the artists included in the exhibition is Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri (born circa 1958), whose work was included in dOCUMENTA (13) in Kassel, Germany in 2012. This was a highpoint in Tjapaltjarri’s career, which began in 1986, only a few short years after making international headlines as a member of the “Pintupi Nine:” one of the last groups of nomadic Aboriginal tribes to emerge from Australia’s Western Desert. Tjapaltjarri’s work will be shown alongside the renowned artists Paddy Bedford (c.1922–2007), Jananggoo Butcher Cherel (c.1918–2009), Tommy Mitchell (c.1943-2013), Ngarra (c.1920-2008), Prince of Wales (Midpul)(c.1938-2002), Billy Joongoora Thomas (c.1920-2012), Boxer Milner Tjampitjin (c.1935-2009) and Tjumpo Tjapanangka (c.1929-2007). more