In 1989 BMW Australia commissioned Michael Nelson Jakamarra to paint a BMW motor car for the Artcars exhibition. The car door was sent to Michael's home at Papunya in the Northern Territory for a test painting.The painted door was deemed to be impressive and Michael was brought to Sydney to paint the car.

Car door panel was manufactured by BMW and painted by Michael Nelson Jakamarra.

On display in the Artcars Exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum in 1989.

Painting, Aboriginal motif on car door panel, acrylic/metal, Michael Jakamarra Nelson [artist]/BMW, Papunya, NT, Australia/Germany, 1989

Black high glass painted BMW front passenger door. The exterior has been painted in multi coloured traditional Aboriginal design with acrylic paints. There is a border design along both sides of wavy line work with a border of dots along one edge. The line is broken in the centre by a circle decorated by a pattern of concentric rings formed by the dot design. A central panel consists of two identical designs at either end composed of an arc with a border of dots - a circle with dotted concentric rings. The central section is composed of an arc ring design in various formations. On the outer edge of the arc in groups of 2 are 6 "E" shaped designs with dotted borders. From these is a final design of a long band painted length wise with 2 opposed hook shapes resembling figures, one painted either side. The design is painted in white, brown, ochre. All are on a background of multicoloured mottled patterns formed by several dots joined together.

Made: Jakamarra Nelson, Michael; ; 1989

Made: BMW Australia Ltd; ; 1989


Used: Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences;

92/43

1989

600 mm

950 mm

60 mm