Walkabout Productions
70 Norton Street, Leichhardt
+61 2 9550 9964.

Long Jack Phillipus' country is Mt. Farewell.

He now paints as a member of the Papunya community.

Long Jack is of the Warlpiri/Luritja language groups and was brought to Papunya as a small boy. Long Jack started painting with Billy Stockmen when they were working in the Papunya School as maintenance men. The students were attempting a mural and Long Jack and Billy thought they could do a much better job. So with the encouragement of Geoff Barton, the first men painters of Papunya started their life long work. Billy is now quite ill in a nursing home but Long Jack has begun to paint his best work.

Long Jack Phillipus spent most of his life as a Lutheran Minister and almost dropped out of painting altogether to follow his career as a Pastor.

From this he has gone on to win major art awards including the NT Golden Jubilee Award. His paintings depict the Hare, Wallaby, Kingfisher, Dingo and other Dreamings from the Mt. Singleton area. The Painting Men is his first major exhibition in Sydney though he has shown here before.

In many ways he is now producing his best work. It is considered his best because of its meticulous quality of image and use of colour. He has developed a new style. The dots he makes are more connected rather then so separate and precise. His paintings still convey a strong male feeling.