Year 3 Landscapes - Immanuel Primary School

Albert Namatjira was born Elea and named Albert by a Lutheran pastor when he was baptised at the Hermannsburg Mission. He developed the European painting style he is most well know for, under the guidance of Rex Battarbee. As a traditional custodian of Western Arrernte culture, Albert Namatjira painted his father’s country in the MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory and his mother’s country was in the Palm Valley region in Central Australia.

Year 3 students responded to the work of Western Aranda artist Albert Namatjira by painting their own local landscape – Kaurna Land. Students chose an image that depicted the natural environment as much as possible and used colour sticks to paint the shapes and colours they saw in their photograph.

In preparing for this activity, we watched a video from the National Portrait Gallery and discussed the difference between photographs and paintings. We then read the story book ‘Albert’ written by Vincent Namatjira, the great grandson of Albert and discussed the importance of Albert Namatjira’s work.

- Sharon Lynch, Specialist Art Teacher, Immanuel Primary School