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ARTIST ONCE KNOWN Untitled (Octopus), c.1961 ochre on bark 47 x 29 cm; 61 x 42.5 cm (framed) bears inscription verso: catalogue number MHA-314 PROVENANCE The Artist, painted on Groote Eylandt, NT Collection of John Titchener, USA Michael Hamson Oceanic Art, California, USA Cat No. MHA-314 Private collection, Vic EXHIBITED Reverence, D'lan Contemporary, Sydney, 28 November 2024 – 10 January 2025 This Groote Eylandt bark painting portrays an octopus with a fish caught between its tentacles. Rendered in red and white ochre against a black ground, the splayed limbs of the octopus radiate around the smaller form of the fish. Typical of Groote Eylandt painting from the 1950s, the work is defined by the bare black background and repetition of line and simple forms. Created by a Anindilyakwa artist, the painting reflects an intimate knowledge of marine life in the island's coastal waters.