AFTER quirky outback artist, Peter Browne, moved to the Central West town of Warren to enjoy a quiet retirement, he proceeded to break all the basic rules.
It was a case of one thing leading to another.
“I was going to keep a low profile but I needed a studio to continue painting, and then I decided to have an exhibition,” he said.
And painting a huge mural of his signature emus on the front of the studio in the town’s main street probably didn’t help the low-profile bit either.
Born in West Wyalong in 1947, the one-time rousabout has led a colourful life, including six years in the Royal Australian Air Force, and later turning a roofless ruin in the ghost town of Silverton into a now famous gallery.
Regarding the latter, the opening of his Warren studio had a sniff of deja vu about it, breathing new life into the town’s community life with four exhibitions already held in two years.
“I really just opened the gallery so I could paint there, but it has become a bit of an attraction,” he said.
(And if visitors find the door closed, the artist can easily be found painting, doing a community chore, or just having a coffee nearby.)
He also decided to help local Aboriginal elders spark an interest in Indigenous art.
After Outback Arts – the key cultural organisation for the Far West shires of Walgett, Brewarrina, Bourke, Cobar, Warren and Coonamble – held an art workshop, Peter decided to continue this project.
“I don’t believe in just teaching art, I wanted to teach them how to be an artist,” he said.
After starting out helping aspiring local artists for the love of it, Peter recently took on the role of regional Indigenous cultural development officer for Outback Arts.
“It took a lot of convincing because I haven’t had a real job to speak of for the past 33 years,” he said.
“But I am honoured to hold the role, because I really didn’t expect the idea to grow like it has.”
Peter has helped five local artists research the marks and carvings used by their ancestors to ensure their work is a traditional rendition of Aboriginal culture.
Now known as the Ngemba Wailwan Artists group, the five pay homage to the ancient language group of the Wailwan people, who were centred in what is now the shire of Warren, along the Macquarie River.
The Wailwan people, who have a history dating back 60,000 years, made marks by carving trees with intricate totems and symbols.
Each Wailwan has their own totemic symbol, along with clan symbols, which the local artists now use in their work.
Peter said the work had none of the familiar dot styles used by
other Aboriginal groups – rather featuring authentic ground and tree carvings illustrating totemic symbolism.
“They use good quality materials – oils on heavy linen canvas – to create their work,” he said.
And rather than the traditional ochre, red and black colours used in most Aboriginal work, the Wailwan artists use pinks and blues – in fact, any colour of the rainbow.
After an exhibition in Warren in June, and another at the Wentworth Galleries in Sydney in August, the Ngemba Wailwan Artists continue to impress their mentor.
“My dream was to inspire the Indigenous community to reconnect with their culture and revive these ancient markings,” he said.
“I’m not sure where it will go from here, but they have been very successful so far.”
Meanwhile, he still finds time for his own work.
Noted for his quirky emus and depiction of rural life tracking back to the 1950s, Peter’s art knows few boundaries.
Motorcycles, bicycles, cars, trucks, machinery, plumbers, fencers, solicitors and doctors all feature, with a gaggle of native animals – echidnas, emus and kangaroos included – appearing in most pieces.
An artist for 40 years, he paints with oils, his work having universal appeal, most recently including sales to Austria, Holland and Ireland.
“I have kept up with the modern times and have an eBay store to sell my work – I am very pleased with whoever invented computers as it makes things much easier.”
A lifelong friend of Pro Hart, Peter Browne became a household name after converting a mud and stone ruin in Silverton, 30 kilometres from Broken Hill, into a gallery.
Meanwhile, he is just happy “rolling along” to see where his art and the Ngemba Wailwan Artists’ work take them – and Warren.
This includes a contribution to the Utes in the Paddock project, a tribute to life in the outback, on Burrawang West Station at Ootha.
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