Mark Nodea / Spring Creek (18184)

Mark was born in Derby in 1968. He resides in Turkey Creek and is the former Chairperson of Warmun Art Centre. He is a wonderful ambassador for his Community and the traditional ochre art of the area. Mark is well educated and an incredibly talented Traditional ochre artist. His charcoal sketches and figurative acrylic works are testimony of his ability in any sphere / medium of artworks.

He has been taught the stories of his land by his mother, artist Nancy Nodea, and paints her country, Texas Downs, and his father’s country around Cherabun Station. Mark’s father is Hanson Boxer, a Walmajarrie man, and this enables Mark to extend his content to embrace both Kitja land and his father’s country around Yakanarra (an excision of Go Go Station via Fitzroy Crossing) and Cherabun Station. His minimal and sometimes flamboyant style gives him scope for large works. He is undoubtedly one of the most naturally talented Australian artists.

Mark’s design won the 2002 Royal Australian Mint International Award for Pure Silver Collector Coin. The Royal Australian Mint has only released ten such coins since 1983. He has participated in Group Exhibitions and his first Solo in September 2003 at the prestigious Alison Kelly Gallery in Melbourne was a sell out success. In 2013, Mark beat a host of brilliant Western Australian artists to take first prize in the $20,000 Mid West Art Award for Excellence.

Selected Exhibitions

2007
• Ochre on Board, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA
• Back To The Board, Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney, NSW
• Wolf Creek Crater, AGOG, Melbourne, VIC

2003
• Mark Nodea, Alison Kelly Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
• Group Show, Framed Gallery, Darwin, NT
• East Kimberley Show, Short Street Gallery, Broome

2002
• Coomalie Culture Centre, Batchelor, NT
• All That Gija Country, Flinders University Museum, SA
• Thornquest Gallery, Gold Coast, QLD
• New Works From Warmun, Framed, Darwin, NT

2001
• In Celebration – The Peter Bailiee Aquisitive Exhibition, Flinders University Art Museum

Awards
• 2013 – First Prize, $20,000 Mid West Art Award for Excellence
• 2002 – Kimberley Interpreting Centre, Designer of Image for Medical Poster
• 2002 – Royal Australian Mint, Canberra, Designer of 10th Commemorative Silver Dollar

Selected Collections
• Laverty Collection, Sydney
• Ross Jones Collection, Sydney
• Art Gallery of Queensland

Mark’s uncle, the late Churchill Cann told Mark this story from a stockman’s perspective:-

“This is Spring Creek, Texas Country. Worked here with Beerbee (Mungnari) and Patrick (Mung Mung). This part is to the south west – south of the new homestead. The people there were good stockmen. I liked working with this mob. This part we used for stock camp and then waited for all the boys to get there – then we’d drove the mob right up to Wyndham to the meatworks. Long way to go. We got eight pounds in old money”.

Mark and Churchill’s daughter, Charlene Carrington spent a lot of time listening to the stories told by their elders to ensure that they could keep the stories alive through art.