Cowboy Louie Pwerle

Artist: Cowboy Louie Pwerle

Skin Name: Pwerle (also known as Pwerl)

Language Group: Anmatyerr

Region: Mosquito Bore, Utopia, Northern Territory

Vendor: Utopian Aboriginal Art

Dreaming: Bush Turkey (Arwengerrp), Lizard (Arlewatyerr), Emu (Ankerr) Tucker

Cowboy Louie Pwerle was born in 1941 on Old MacDonald station. He is the younger brother of Louie Pwerle (deceased) who was an important Utopian artist and is an Eastern Anmatyerr speaker. His traditional country lies on the Western side of the Sandover River on Utopia station and stretches west on to Mt Skinner. Cowboy lives at Mosquito Bore with his two wives, both of whom are the sisters Carol and Elizabeth Kngwarreye.

Cowboy Louie depicts his Turkey Dreaming over various traditional sites on Utopia. He also paints Emu (Ankerr) Tucker Dreaming and Lizard (Arlewatyerr) Dreaming. Cowboy's name is attributed to his reputation as a stockman and his cowboy attire.

Bibliography:

• Johnson, V., 1994, The Dictionary of Western Desert Artists, Craftsman House, East Roseville, New South Wales. ©

Collections:

• National Gallery of Victoria
• Museum of Victoria, Melbourne
• Stichting Sint-Jan, Brugge, Netherlands

Exhibitions:

• 2007 - Patterns of Power, Art from the Eastern Desert, Simmer on the Bay, Sydney
• 2007 - Eastern Desert Dreaming, Artists from Utopia, GalleryG, Brisbane
• 2008 - Power of Place, Paintings and Sculpture from the Eastern Desert, Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute Inc, Adelaide