LIN ONUS Australia, (1948 - 1996) Birrakala Dijini Bunarong Bugaja (Butterflies in Sherbrooke Forest) archival pigment print, ed. 39/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signed lower right to margin; Digital Art Directory blind stamp lower right to margin; accompanied by a certificate of authenticity
PROPERTY FORMERLY FROM THE NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK COLLECTION OF MODERN ART LIN ONUS (1948-1996) Yorta Yorta language group Gumbirri Garginingi 1996 colour screenprint 50.0 x 75.0 (image); 75.0 x 100.5 cm (framed) edition: 19/85 signed and dated lower right: Lin Onus '96 numbered lower left: 19/85 titled lower centre: Gumbirri Garginingi
LIN ONUS 1948 - 1996 Motionless Fish, 1995 gouache on illustration board 27 x 62.5 cm; 55 x 86.5 cm (framed) signed front lower right and bears Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi label verso PROVENANCE Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Vic Private collection, Vic Sotheby's, Fine Australian Art Auction, Melbourne, Vic, May 2004, Lot No. 246 Leonard Joel, Indigenous Art, Melbourne, Vic, August 2023, Lot No. 82 Private collection, Qld Onus was born in 1948 in Melbourne, his father belonging to the Yorta Yorta people from the Barmah Forest country. He drew on imagery from this region when he began painting and sculpting in 1974. He created works that were not only distinctly Australian but also expressed what it is like to be an Aboriginal Australian living in an urban environment. Onus was a key figure in raising the profile of Indigenous art, and a leader of the urban Aboriginal art movement. His work is valued as much for its technical skill as for its unique fusion of styles. Onus combined strong socio-political commentary with great artistic expertise, producing art that is political, provocative, and unmistakably his own. Onus's early works conveyed anger at Aboriginal social injustice, but later he embraced humour and whimsy to offer a less confrontational perspective. Perhaps he inherited this sense of humour from his father, Bill. It is said that in the early 1950s, Bill Onus, as President of the Australian Aborigines League, was asked to suggest a suitable Aboriginal name for a new Melbourne community festival. Bill recommended the name ‘Moomba', telling city officials it meant ‘let's get together and have fun'. Onus often spent time with his uncle sitting on the banks of the Murray River, within sight of the Barmah Forest—his spiritual home, the inspiration for many of his later paintings, and ultimately his final resting place. — Ref: Margo Neale, Urban Dingo: The Art and Life of Lin Onus 1948–1996
LIN ONUS Australia, (1948 - 1996) Frogs at Barmah II archival pigment print, ed. 19/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signed lower right to margin; Digital Art Directory blind stamp lower right to margin; accompanied by a certificate of authenticity
LIN ONUS Australia, (1948 - 1996) Late Afternoon, Barmah archival pigment print, ed. 5/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signed lower right to margin; Digital Art Directory blind stamp lower right to margin; accompanied by a certificate of authenticity
LIN ONUS (1948 - 1996) Fish and Lightning Weed, 1996 archival pigment print, ed. 15/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signature lower right; certificate of authenticity verso
LIN ONUS 1948-1996 Gilgirri Rruki (Camouflaged Geckos) (1992) gouache on board signed ‘Lin Onus' lower right 50 x 38 cm PROVENANCE Lin Onus, Melbourne Painters Gallery Australia, Sydney Private Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above on 9 November 1992 EXHIBITED (Possibly) Lin Onus: Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture, Painters Gallery, Sydney, 1992
LIN ONUS 1948-1996 Michael and I are Just Slipping Down to the Pub for a Minute (1992) gouache on board signed 'Lin Onus' lower left 50 x 38 cm PROVENANCE Lin Onus, Melbourne Painters Gallery Australia, Sydney Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above 1992 Aboriginal Art, Sotheby's Australia, Melbourne, 9 July 2001, lot 141, illustrated Private Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above EXHIBITED (Possibly) Lin Onus: Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture, Painters Gallery, Sydney, 1992 Urban Dingo: The Art and Life of Lin Onus 1948-1996, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, 11 August – 30 October 2000; Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 24 November 2000 – 4 March 2001; Melbourne Museum, Melbourne, 6 April – 29 July 2001, illustrated Significant Tilt, Macquarie University Gallery, Sydney Best in Show: Dogs in Australian Art, Orange Regional Gallery, Orange, 9 April – 3 July 2016, illustrated LITERATURE Margo Neale with contributions from Michael Eather, Gary Foley, Sylvia Klienert, Bernhard Lüthi, Ian McLean, Jo Onus and Triki Onus, Urban Dingo: The Art and Life of Lin Onus 1948-1996, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 2000, cover (illustrated), plate 43, pp. 20, 21, 58, 95 (illustrated), 137 Steven Miller, Dogs in Australian Art: A New History of Antipodean Creativity, Wakefield Press, Adelaide, 2012, pp. 84, 85 (illustrated), 187 Steven Miller, Dogs in Australian Art: A New History of Antipodean Creativity, Wakefield Press, Adelaide, 2016, pp. 90, 91 (illustrated), 213 Lisa Loader, Best in Show: Dogs in Australian Art, Orange Regional Gallery, Orange, 2016, n.p. (illustrated)
§ LIN AND TIRIKI ONUS, DJALNG BALTJIGI NGUKI DJINIGMA (WISH YOU WERE HERE) 1996, SCREENPRINT ED. 12/70, SIGNED, TITLED, EDITIONED BELOW IMAGE, 48 X 68CM, FRAME SIZE: 65 X 85CM
LIN ONUS (1948 - 1996) Leftfoot Practice with Best Friend, 1996 archival pigment print, ed. 10/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) 76.5 x 89.5 cm facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
LIN ONUS (1948 - 1996) Leftfoot Practice with Best Friend, 1996 archival pigment print, ed. 10/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) 76.5 x 89.5 cm facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
LIN ONUS (1948-1996) Kicking around the Claypan archival pigment print, ed. 63/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
LIN ONUS (1948 - 1996) Leftfoot Practice with Best Friend, 1996 archival pigment print, ed. 10/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) 76.5 x 89.5 cm facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
LIN ONUS (1948-1996) Kicking around the Claypan archival pigment print, ed. 63/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
LIN ONUS Kicking Around the Claypan archival pigment print facsimile signature and editioned on margin: Lin Onus / A/P numbered verso: #2010118 68 x 81cm PROVENANCE Digital Art Directory (certificate of authenticity accompanies this lot)
LIN ONUS Kicking Around the Claypan archival pigment print facsimile signature and editioned on margin: Lin Onus / A/P numbered verso: #201074 47 x 56cm PROVENANCE Digital Art Directory (certificate of authenticity accompanies this lot)
LIN ONUS (1948-1996) Kicking around the Claypan archival pigment print, ed. 63/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
LIN ONUS (1948 - 1996) Frogs and Barmah II, 1995 archival pigment print, ed. 18/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signature lower right; certificate of authenticity verso
LIN ONUS (1948 - 1996) Leftfoot Practice with Best Friend, 1996 archival pigment print, ed. 10/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) 76.5 x 89.5 cm facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
LIN ONUS (1948-1996) Kicking around the Claypan archival pigment print, ed. 63/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
LIN ONUS (1946-1996) Fish and Lightning Weed archival pigment print, ed. 14/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF A PRIVATE COLLECTION, MELBOURNE LIN ONUS (1948-1996) On the Snowline oil on board 49.5 x 64.5 cm; 62.5 x 78.0 cm (framed) signed lower right: Lin Onus bears inscription on label attached verso: "ON THE SNOWLINE"
PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF A PRIVATE COLLECTION, SYDNEY LIN ONUS (1948-1996) Summertime 1994 synthetic polymer paint on card 20.0 x 63.0 cm; 48.0 x 68.5 cm (framed) accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from The Estate of Lin Onus, Melbourne (attached verso)
LIN ONUS (1946-1996) Frogs and Barmah II archival pigment print, ed. 23/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
LIN ONUS (1948-1996) Kicking around the Claypan archival pigment print, ed. 63/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
LIN ONUS (1948-1996) Kicking around the Claypan archival pigment print, ed. 63/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
LIN ONUS (1948-1996) Fish and Lillies, Dingo Springs archival pigment print, ed. 44/499 (unframed/cellophane wrapped with corflute backing) facsimile signature lower right; certificate verso
Lin Onus (1948 - 1996) Pitoa Garkman, 1994 Screenprint, printed in colour from multiple stencils, editioned 36/85 signed and dated lower right 'Lin Onus '94'. numbered lower left 36/85. titled lower centre 'Pitoa Garkman',
Lin Onus Melbourne/Manigrida (1948-1996) Michael and I are Just Slipping down to the pub for a minute 2000 (the Ongoing Adventures of X and ray) Novajet 600 digital print on canvas ed. 10/48 printed May 1999 Inscribed & titled verso Signed & dated by Michael Eather Fire-Works Gallery, Certificate of Authenticity, Signed by Michael Eather
LIN ONUS 1948-1996 Butterflies and Flowers (1993) synthetic polymer paint on paper on board signed ‘Lin Onus' lower left 50 x 38 cm frame: original, Howden Studios, Victoria (stamped verso) PROVENANCE Lin Onus, Melbourne Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne (label verso) Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above EXHIBITED There and Back: An Exhibition of Recent Paintings and Sculpture by Lin Onus, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, 27 July – 4 September 1993
LIN ONUS 1948-1996 Butterflies and Rocks (1993) synthetic polymer paint on board signed ‘Lin Onus' lower right 50 x 38 cm frame: original, Howden Studios, Victoria (stamped verso) PROVENANCE Lin Onus, Melbourne Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne (label verso) Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above EXHIBITED There and Back: An Exhibition of Recent Paintings and Sculpture by Lin Onus, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, 27 July – 4 September 1993