This bark painting was made by an Indigenous artist in Maningrida in the Northern Territory between 1900 and 1950. It is from a collection of six bark paintings that were acquired by Professor Leslie M. Haynes, Head of the Department of Industrial Arts at the University of New South Wales, and his research assistant and later wife, Janice Waddell, during their field research between 1966-1974.

Professor Haynes was Head of the Department of Industrial Arts at the University from 1957 to 1978, following a career as Australia's first teacher of gifted children. As a psychologist, Haynes was interested in 'the interaction between man and his environment'. Within the B.Sc degree he taught, he included the opportunity to study ethno-technology, which analysed 'the manner in which a particular society designed, created and produced its artefacts'.

Field research was a significant part of the Department's work and led to several projects with Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. From 1966 Haynes also instituted research projects in the field of traditional Aboriginal technology in a number of centres in the Northern Territory (and overseas), looking at a range of materials, processes, skills and technologies. In particular he made a study of traditional weaving at Maningrida. From 1968, he also studied the structure of European groups at government settlements on Melville Island and in Maningrida, gauging the impact that government centres and their staff had on local culture and artwork.

This bark painting was made by an Indigenous artist in Maningrida,in the Northern Territory between 1900 and 1950.

From 1957 to 1978, Professor Leslie M. Haynes was Head of the Department of Industrial Arts at the University of New South Wales, following an earlier career as Australia's first teacher of gifted children. As a social psychologist, Haynes was interested in the 'interaction between man and his environment' and towards this end, employed craftspeople on his staff such as Ivan McMeekin (potter) and Helge Larsen (jeweler and silversmith), who were well known for their work in the crafts field. He also included in the B.Sc degree the opportunity to study ethno-technology, which analysed 'the manner in which a particular society designed, created and produced its artefacts'. He believed its focus on design and manufacture made it highly relevant to the study of Industrial Arts and therefore a key aspect of the Departments research and curriculum.

Field research was a significant part of the Departments work and led to several projects with Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. In 1966, the Research Section of the Welfare Branch of the Northern Territory Administration and the Department of Industrial Art of the University of NSW started research into clay and glaze materials in a number of centres, carried out by Keith Lodge and Ivan McMeekin.

In 1967, Haynes authorised a project that started in 1968 with Ivan McMeekin, and British potter, Michael Cardew, to establish a clay processing unit and commercial pottery for Tiwi people at Bagot in Darwin. This scheme was led by the Research Sectis of direction, ceramic work continues to be made.

From 1966 Haynes also instituted research projects in the field of traditional Aboriginal technology in a number of centres in the Northern Territory (and overseas), looking at a range of materials, processes, skills and technologies. In particular he made a study of traditional weaving at Maningrida. From 1968, he also studied the structure of European groups at government settlements on Melville Island and in Maningrida, gauging the impact that government centres and their staff had on local culture and artwork.

During these years, Haynes, with his research assistant and, later wife Janice Waddell, collected a number of bark paintings from the Maningrida area. They also collected a substantial representation of important early Tiwi pottery from the Bagot pottery 1968-1975. There was a significant exhibition of this work at the Aladdin Gallery, Sydney, in 1977.

Haynes wrote a number of papers about his work. Coinciding approximately with the relocation of the research unit and pottery in 1975, were Haynes' retirement and the publication of a two volume report that helped re-shape the Industrial Arts Department. Throughout its pages are references to his ideology in the study of Industrial Arts. After 1975, the Department moved to the Department of Architecture that later became the Department of the Built Environment.

Bark painting, bark / natural pigments, artist unknown, Maningrida, Northern Territory, Australia, 1900-1950

A rectangular bark painting depicting two spirit figures against a light ochre ground. Their bodies are decorated with crosshatchings in white, light ochre and brown. Around the edge of the artwork are three black forms surrounded by white barb or feather-like extensions.

: 1900 - 1950

2012/77/1

1900 - 1950

195 mm