Cowboy Loy Pwerle
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Artist Profile · Northern Territory
Cowboy Loy Pwerle
Eastern Anmatyerre stockman whose intricate paintings mapped the travels of the Bush Hen across Utopia.
Lived
c. 1941 – 2022, born Old MacDonald Downs Station
Language group
Eastern Anmatyerre
Country
Western side of the Sandover River, Utopia, NT
Also known as
Cowboy Louie Pwerle, Cowboy Loy Pula
Why “Cowboy”?
Born at the sheep yard camp on Old MacDonald Downs Station, he earned the name “Cowboy” for his reputation as a skilled stockman and his flashy style of dress. Like his father before him, he had a long association with the Holt family of Delmore Downs.
His traditional Country lay on the western side of the Sandover River on Utopia, extending onto Mt Skinner Station, and he lived his whole life on and around it. He lived mostly at Mosquito Bore, and also spent time at Boundary Bore (Atneltyeye) and Soakage Bore (Atnarare). He was married to the sisters Carol and Elizabeth Kngwarreye, and was encouraged to paint by his older brother, the late artist Louie Pwerle. Cowboy Loy passed away in 2022.
His work
Cowboy Loy began painting in the 1980s, as art-making flourished at Utopia. His main subject was the Bush Hen (bush turkey), following its travels as it nests, forages, mates and raises its chicks; he also painted Emu and Lizard Dreamings. Built from fields of tiny dots, his intricate paintings work as storytelling maps full of movement and depth: tracks are shown as dotted lines, and soakages as geometric circles. He was custodian of a series of Dreaming sites across his Country, and passed his stories on to his grandson.
Emu (Ankerr) Tucker
Lizard (Arlewatyerr) Dreaming
Highlights
- Finalist, Blake Prize (2009, 2012) and Albany Art Prize (2008)
- Exhibited at ArtParis, Grand Palais, Paris (2007) and The Golden Age of Utopia, Brussels (2017)
- Collections include the National Gallery of Victoria, Museums Victoria, the Art Gallery of South Australia and Benalla Art Gallery
Buying Cowboy Loy’s work
For authenticated paintings with provenance, buy through a recognised gallery such as Delmore Gallery or Wentworth Galleries, and always ask for a certificate of authenticity.
Paintings by Cowboy Loy Pwerle on eBay
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