Jimmy Pike: Desert Designs, 1981-1995

Aboriginal art. Born east of Japingka, an important jila or permanent waterhole in the Great Sandy Desert, he grew up as a hunter-gatherer. Like many of his people he drifted north toward the river valleys and the sheep and cattle stations where food was more plentiful. Living as a fringe-dweller around Cherrabun Station he eventually joined relatives at the station camp and worked as a stockman. He was named Jimmy Pike, after Phar Lap’s jockey, by a cattle station manager.

Pike learned to use western art materials while in Fremantle Prison. Even before he was released from prison his work was exhibited in major Australian galleries.

In 1989 Pike featured in a documentary The Quest of Jimmy Pike.

He illustrated a book Jimmy and Pat meet the Queen with his wife Pat Lowe. Pike has collaborated on a number of other books with his wife.

He held exhibitions in United Kingdom, Philippines, China, Namibia and Italy. During an exhibition of his paintings in London in 1998, Pike and his wife Pat Lowe attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

He held a joint exhibition with Zhou Xiaoping in the National Gallery of China, Beijing, called Through the Eyes of Two Cultures”. He was the first Australian painter to show there.

Pike died from a heart attack in 2002. pp. 80 Colour plates #0817 Prev ownership on front blank