Wally Mandarrk (1915 - 1987)

natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark

103.0 x 36.5 cm (irregular)
132.0 x 62.0 x 10.0 cm (frame)

Maningrida Arts and Crafts, Northern Territory
The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, Melbourne, acquired from the above on 20 April 1994

National Treasures, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria, 14 November 2015 – 13 March 2016

Nainby, B., Stanhope, Z., and Furlonger, K., The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, in association with Latrobe Regional Gallery, Melbourne, 2009, pp. 208 (illus.), 225

This work is located in our Melbourne Gallery

Condition:
This work is in good, stable and near original condition.
There is a 10cm vertical surface crack to the bark support running from the centre top edge down through the jaws of the crocodile and another minor crack running up from the bottom edge through the crocodile’s tail to the bottom right. There are minor, light surface abrasions across the bark support with loss of pigment to the head, torso, legs, and tail of the crocodile.
These are old, stable, characteristic of the medium and age of the work, are not visually distracting and visible in the enlarged online catalogue image.
The work is attached with clear plastic clips to a hessian lined backboard, housed in a custom, dark timber box frame under protective Perspex.