David Tjapaltjarri Corby b. 1940

  • Artist (Painter)
One of the youngest of the original 'painting men' at Papunya in the early 1970s, and a dedicated worker for his community. He was artist-in-residence at Flinders University with Turkey Tolson in 1979, the year before his tragic death.
Talk | Version history | Updated Oct. 19, 2011 | Created Jan. 1, 1994
Name
David Tjapaltjarri Corby
Birth date
c.1940
Death date
1980
Death place
None
Gender
Male
Roles
  • Artist (Painter)
Residence
  • Papunya, NT
Active Period
  • 1971- 1980
Languages
  • English
Is Indigenous
Yes
Heritage Country
  • Tjunti
Dreaming
  • Witchetty Grub
  • Emu
  • Wallaby
  • Budgerigar
Initial Record Data Source
  • Aboriginal Artists of the Western Desert: A Biographical Dictionary
Copyright
  • Papunya Tula Artists, NT

Though still a young man, the artist and his older brother, Charlie Egalie , were associated with the original group of 'painting men’ at Papunya at the beginning of the ’70s. Though his country lay around Tjunti, north-west of Vaughan Springs station in Warlpiri territory, he lived in Papunya and was a dedicated worker for his people before his untimely death in 1980. He painted Budgerigar, Wallaby, Emu and Witchetty Grub Dreamings. In 1979 David Corby and Turkey Tolson were artists-in-residence at Flinders University in Adelaide SA, and the Flinders University Art Museum holds many of the paintings which the artists completed during the residency (see Dot and Circle: A Retrospective Survey of the Aboriginal acrylic paintings of Central Australia , {ed. J. Maughan & J. Zimmer RMIT 1986}).

Writers:
Johnson, Vivien Note: primary biographer
Date written:
1994
Last updated:
2011
associate of
Charlie Tjapaltjarri Egalie
1940
sibling of
Charlie Tjapaltjarri Egalie
1940
associate of
Paddy Tjungarrayi Carroll
1927
Artist (Painter)
parent of
Watson Corby Tjungurrayi
1973
Artist (Painter)
relative of
Narlie Nakamarra
1948
Artist (Weaver), Maker (Jewellery Designer), Artist (Painter)
Brother-in-law
associate of
Turkey Tjupurrula Tolson
1940
Artist (Painter)
associate of
Papunya Tula Artists
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
Collections
Citations:
  • Bardon, Geoffrey and Bardon, James, (2004), Papunya: A Place Made After the Story; The Beginnings of the Western Desert Painting Movement, (Place: Miegunyah Press, Melbourne, VIC ISBN-10 : 0-522-85110-X / ISBN-13: 978-0522851106)
  • Johnson, V., (2008), Lives of the Papunya Tula Artists, (Place: IAD Press, Alice Springs, NT ISBN 978 1 86465 090 7url: http://www/iadpress.com) http://www.iadpress.com
  • Maughan, J.; & Zimmer, J., (1986), Dot and Circle: A Retrospective Survey of the Aboriginal Acrylic Paintings of Central Australia, (Place: Melbourne, Vic : Communication Services Unit, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology)