A Day at Tingari Arts
Life in the office, Alice Springs
"So how does a high-flying city dweller end up cooking barbecues and preparing
endless cups of teeth-numbingly sweet tea for artists and their extended families,
who regard the painting house as their second home?"
- Diana Streak, Canberra Times 2005
The office was a very large open room surrounded by large windows, with a basic kitchen area, bathroom including shower and large outside area.
The ‘office’ desk was an old door on top with legs from a hardware shop.
The kitchen area had a fridge, sink, microwave, kettle and large frypan. Outside there was a very well used barbecue.
In the winter I made beef stews, affectionately known as ‘Cooka’ at home, froze some and took the rest to work. It was impossible to know how much would be needed on a certain day as artists’ family members wandered in whenever they wanted to … Mostly around lunch time!
Lunch, always early, would then be stew, bread and a cup of tea and fruit. Unfortunately, sugar, salt and tomato sauce were always requested.
In summer, lunch was usually barbecued chops with salad, bread, fruit and tea or low-sugar cordial. On hot days icy poles were popular.
Good friend, Jane Kiel, helping in the office
Artists, some with family, arrived any time from around 8am until 1pm. Some called in to say they were coming the next day / week and needed assistance until then.
My colleague, Byanka, and I would give each artist the stretched Belgian linen canvas they chose and mix the paint colours as requested by them.
Each artist may also need the paints to be a certain consistency for their work. The artist was also given the particular style and size paint brush they preferred. Often painting implement of choice was a piece of glass, meat skewer or actual stick.
Some artists liked to paint inside and some preferred outside.
All except Daisy Napaltjarri Jugadai painted with the stretched canvas flat on the floor. Daisy would prop it against a wall or table leg and sit crossed on the floor as she painted.
Sometimes an artist didn’t feel like painting but just wanted to rest, have lunch and obtain some assistance with a matter.
During the day an artist or family member may need assistance with an official document they have received, which could be us phoning the department for clarification or taking the person to the department / company to try to solve an issue.
Visits to family members in the hospital, the bank, Centrelink or gaol plus regular trips to CONGRESS (Aboriginal health) were also organised.
Plus trips for many other individual needs. Sometimes a trip had to be refused - e.g. an artist wanting me to drive them to Kiwirrkura (15 hrs and 850kms one way)!
The days were chaotic, wonderful, heartbreaking, great fun, great sorrow, stimulating, crazy, satisfying, unsatisfying and … a kaleidoscope of everything!
“At Tingari Arts in Alice Springs, the driving force is Linx Macpherson,
who jokingly calls herself the chief executive,
but mostly resembles a paint-spattered waitress.”
- Diana Streak - Canberra Times 2005
