Gracie Morton Pwerle

An Alyawarr woman from Utopia Station, approximately 250km north-east of Alice Springs, Gracie's works are represented in major private collections such as The Robert Holmes a Court Collection in Western Australia. She exhibits regularly in Australia, more recently in a solo show titled 'Mosquito Bore - The Art of the Minimalist' at Ancient Earth Indigenous Art Gallery in Cairns and in a group exhibition at the Alliance Francaise de Canberra and French Embassy in Canberra.

Gracie was born in Utopia, central Australia c. 1956. Her exact date of birth is not known, though she says ‘it was a long time ago’. There is a rich artistic tradition that runs in Gracie’s family and she is related to a string of well respected artists. Her mother is sister to Gloria, Kathleen, Violet, Myrtle and Ada Bird Petyarre (passed away 2010), all well established artists.

Her sisters Mary, Rita and Elizabeth also paint. Gracie Morton is the daughter of artist Myrtle Petyarre. Gracie now lives in the Central Desert. Gracie Pwerl Morton is one of the senior traditional custodian for both the Altyerre (Dreaming) and the vast expanse of related country, some 263kms north of Alice Springs, Australia. In accordance to traditional law the responsibility for the Bush Plum Dreaming has been passed down to Gracie from her father and her aunt, who are responsible for ensuring that she perseveres its traditions.

Gracie Pwerl Morton began painting in the 1970's with the Utopia Women's Batik Group and on canvas in the late 1980's. Her work has been well received in galleries throughout Australia and around the world. Gracie works with great strength and dynamism of the Utopian women artists that continues across the generations. Gracie's delicate dotting and colour variation uses an aerial perspective to portray the seasonal changes of the Amwekety - the Bush Plum, a plant of great significance to the women of Gracie's traditional country, Mosquito Bore. Gracie Morton style of painting is distinctively minimalist and she uses a very delicate dotting technique and traditional colours. Her signature theme is the "bush plum" stories known to the Alyawarr as Arnwekety. Gracie work, first featured in the important Robert Holmes à Court Collection, is now in many important private and public collections around the world.

Gracie Morton Pwerle paints Amwekety - the Bush Plum, depict the changing seasonal influences on a plant that is of the greatest significance to the Alyawarr women of the Eastern Desert region of the central Australia. The incredible finesse of Gracie’s style creates a wonderful lyricism in her works, causing a three-dimensionality that pulls at the eye guiding the viewer through the soft, outward-reaching fields of colour, while simultaneously transfixing one in its undulations.

The Bush Plum is a highly nutritious small fruit with black seeds, rich in vitamin C, that can be eaten raw or cooked. Growing in a great profusion of flower and fruit throughout the winter months, the women, accompanied by the children collect the Bush Plums, while at the same time reconfirming their connection to the land. The flourish of colour that distinguishes the Bush Plum after the fall of rain, is quickly transformed with the long hot summer months. Dried and separated, the seed and husk are scatter over the vast sun baked landscape by the hot summer winds.

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