Tommy Carroll / Nganjiwarr Country (3B)

Tommy was born in 1956 at Doon Doon Station in the East Kimberley and worked as a stockman for many years. His knowledge of the country in which he worked is extensive and the pivotal focus of his paintings.

He is a natural – his style is strong, individual, balanced, striking. It is obvious that he has never followed in anyone’s footsteps – his works are most definitely by Tommy Carroll. The paintings flow with the landscape – from minimal yet precise black and white to vibrant reds and bright yellow to the softer black/brown/green of his grandfather, Paddy Carroll’s country.

He has participated in Solo and Group Exhibitions throughout Australia – his paintings have been acquired by important collectors, the National Gallery of Australia and the Parliament House Collection. Tommy’s works are popular world-wide, as many collectors from America, Germany and Holland have discovered and collected and continue to commission works by this now well established artist.

A man of few words, a focused, professional artist – minimal by style, not by market preference.
Selected Solo & Group Exhibitions

2012
• Mabel Juli & Tommy Carroll, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi

2009
• Ochre: A Study in Materiality, Short Street Gallery, Broome

2008
• East of East Kimberley, ReDot Gallery, Singapore

2007
• Ralph Pucci International Gallery, New York (in association with Cross Cultural Art Exchange, Darwin)
• Greetings From Turkey Creek, Mary Place Gallery, Sydney
• “From the ground up: Ochre work from the Kimberley”, Chapman Gallery, Canberra

2006
• Gentlemen of Warmun, Seva Frangos Art, Perth
• East Kimberley Artworks, Japingka Gallery , Perth
• Warmun Art Centre Presents, Mary Place Gallery, Sydney

2004
• Mabel Juli & Tommy Carroll, Kaliman Gallery, Sydney

2003
• Solo Show, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
• Recent Works by Warmun Artists, Framed Gallery, Darwin

2002
• Solo Show, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
• Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
• Colleen Carter, Tommy Carroll and Katie Cox, Span Gallery, Flinders Lane, Melbourne
• Collectors Show – in association with Seva Frangos, Span Gallery, Flinders St, Melbourne

2000
• Ben Grady Gallery, Canberra

Selected Collections
• Australian National Gallery, Canberra
• Parliament House Collection, Canberra
• Artbank, Sydney
• Broadmeadows Health Service Collection, Victoria

Nganjiwarr Country is up the northern part of Doon Doon Station. Nganjiwarr – that’s the name of the Ngarrangkarni (Dreamtime) snake who travelled all through this country. He made all the rivers and big rocks and nowanns (caves) and the passes through the high mountains.

This painting shows the country looking down on that hot summertime. Right near this place is a waterhole called Tommy Spring – my grandfather named me after that one. All rough country around here – rough on horses and men come mustering time when I was working there. Now it’s all done by chopper (helicopter) – lot easier now.