Ann was born in Alice Springs and grew up in Papunya where she attended school. Her mother is Jocelyn Nampitjinpa, a Warlpiri woman and her father is Benny Tjapatjari from Warakurna in the NPY lands of Western Australia. Ann remembers a long time ago, when her father would walk with camels to Hermannsburg with rations for the people. There was a film made about her father, “Benny and the Dreamers” (1992) that tells the story of Benny and other Pintupi men.
Ann met her husband and fellow painter, Joseph Lane, a long time ago when he worked as a stockman between Glen Helen, Haasts Bluff and Pupunya. The two lived between Haasts Bluff, Papunya and Kintore as they raised their three children. For a time, they also lived at Pirrnpirrnga (desert bore) outstation, where her father is from.
Ann says she has been painting for a long time now. She remembers sitting and painting at the old Ikuntji Art Centre with the old men and women, amongst them, Eunice Napanangka Jack and Mitjili Napurrula. She remembers that they used to make a fire inside the art centre and sometimes sleep there overnight. Ann painted for Papunya Tula artists for some time, but has been painting for Ikuntji now since 2001.
She predominantly paints the Tjukurrpa from her father’s country, Pirrnpirrnga – Desert Bore, depicting the surrounding tali tali (sand hills) with bold lines, overlayed with fine dot work in varying colours. Her father, Benny, used to paint that same story. Ann is now the only one in her family that paints. She regularly comes in to the art centre and paints for hours at a time, often with husband Joseph Lane sitting with her, sometimes painting too.
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Ann Lane painting – Courtesy of Ikuntji Artists, Photo Chrischona Schmidt
Top image: Ann Lane nee Dixon – Artist Portrait – Courtesy Ikuntji Artists – Photo Tobias Titz