Spinifex and Peach 2019 was made by Shirley Macnamara in response to an invitation by the Moreton Bay Regional Council to enter the acquisitive prize and exhibition '15 Artists 2019' held at the Redcliffe Art Gallery in September 2019. The stated rationale for the competition is to 'represent the diversity of contemporary practice through a focus on culture, identity, spirit and connection to place'.¹ Though Macnamara is unfamiliar with the Redcliffe region, she imagined an association between the red ochre of her mother's Indjilandji-Dhidanhu country and the notion of 'red cliffs' which are, in fact, a geological feature of this Brisbane bayside region from which it derives its name.

This work is a variation on the vessel form with which Macnamara is identified, however, its shape differs from any previous works by her. It is further distinguished by a coarser handling of the mix of spinifex strands and resin, crushed red rock, horse hair and porcupine (echidna) quills. This is the first time Macnamara has incorporated the hair of her favorite mare Peach, taken here from the horse's mane and tail. Peach is integral to Shirley Macnamara's art practice, as noted in the '15 Artists 2019' exhibition catalogue: '[W]ithout the ability to ride over vast areas of this land mustering cattle and stopping at places no vehicle could possibly find, Shirley sees the beautiful spinifex and other objects both found and from nature. Shirley notes where they are and returns again another time to collect for her art'.² 

Spinifex and Peach is an example of Macnamara's innate ability to make significant subtle changes in the raw elements in her work to create narratives reflecting diverse aspects of her life and beliefs. The work contains a rich mix of contrasting colours and textures, evocative of the power of the red-earth country from which it emanates. The fine quality and 'presence' of the work and the atypical handling of materials make this an important addition to the Gallery's existing collection of Macnamara's work. 

Endnotes

1. 15 Artists 2019 [exhibition catalogue], Redcliffe Art Gallery, Redcliffe, 2019, p.3.
2. 15 Artists 2019, p.18.