Kaapa Tjampitjinpa learned to paint with watercolor, in the style of Albert Namatjira, but was not satisfied with the constraints of representational landscape painting.

Remarkably, when employed as yardman at the Papunya School, Kaapa conceived a radical new way of describing the ceremonies of celebration for his country. Evidence suggests that Kaapa's first experimental works were created before Geoffrey Bardon arrived as a fresh-faced art teacher. (1) And Kaapa remained a driving force in the critical early years of contemporary Aboriginal art, becoming the first Chairman of Papunya Tula Artists. (2)

Kaapa's paintings developed at a rapid pace during 1971; shifting from scrupulous representations of cer...