As part of her artistic process, Kaylene sources most of her reference imagery online, and supplements this with images from second-hand books, album covers, comics, and magazines. Kaylene's studio space acts nearly as a physical mood board. Much of Kaylene’s imagery is associated with the pop idols and movie stars from when she was growing up (Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, and Cher). 

Another recurring motif is Tina Turner from the film Mad Max: Beyond the Thunderdome, some of which was filmed in Coober Pedy, which is quite close to Indulkana, where Kaylene lives and works. The film’s desert landscape is reminiscent to the context of Kaylene’s home.

What are some of your biggest dreams?
I’d love to travel overseas one day.

What do you like most about the work of Tiger Yaltangki and Vincent Namatjira? 

Vincent is a really good painter; I love his portraits of Aboriginal leaders – footballers like
Nicky Winmar and singers like Archie Roach. Tiger’s imagination is great – I like his paintings of monsters, and how he paints his family and friends, I wonder what he is thinking about a lot! He loves music too, and is often dancing in his studio.

What is it about Dolly Parton and Tina Turner that you like the most?

I love their music! Tina and Dolly are so amazing. Not just the songs, but their music videos,
album covers, and pictures of them performing are a big influence on my work. I’m really
drawn to strong female performers like Dolly Parton and Tina Turner, and these ladies also
have the best outfits and hairstyles, so I love painting them! I grew up listening to their
music, so they’ve been a big part of my life. When I’m listening to their music while I’m
painting, it is sort of like the singer is coming to life in the studio and performing just for me. I
start thinking:  What if Dolly and Tina came to visit me in Indulkana? What would they do?
What would they say?

How does it feel to know that you have fans like Fort Gansevoort on the other side of
the world? 

I love connecting with people – if my art can reach someone on the other side of the world
and make them laugh or smile that is really special to me!

A winner of the 2020 Archibald Prize, Vincent Namatjira’s bold portraits explore the complexities of colonial histories and their lasting effects on Aboriginal Australians. Inserting his own likeness into many of his works, Namatjira often renders himself in fictional encounters with global, contemporary political figures including Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Queen Elizabeth II. Painting with broad strokes in acrylic, Namatjira often exaggerates the physical features and expressions of his subjects to satirical effect. Spirits, Popstars, and Royals features a selection of self-portraits in which the artist depicts himself juxtaposed with members of the British Royal Family in various improbable settings, thereby subverting the power structures of his interlocutors. This artistic strategy speaks to the complicated relationship between influential political figures on the world stage and the entrenched history of marginalization of the Indigenous Indulkana Community. Through his use of irony, Namatjira reclaims the power to document his own story.

What do you like most about the work of Tiger Yaltangki and Kaylene Whiskey?

Well, both of their work puts a smile on my face. In the studio we joke around that Kaylene is Anangu Wonder Woman – she creates her own universe in her paintings  – my daughters LOVE her stuff. Tiger is a great drawer – his work is really raw and energetic. He’s got good taste in music too!

Why are you fascinated with the British Royal Family?

The Queen and the Royal family are sort of intertwined with my own family’s history. My great-grandfather Albert Namatjira was a celebrated artist and actually met Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Australia in 1954. The Royal Family are like a symbol of wealth and power, and Britain has obviously had a lot of influence over the lives of Indigenous Australians in the last 250 years. I like to try to up-end power structures in my paintings. I find the way some people revere the royal family a bit weird! I wish there was the same level of respect and recognition for this country’s Indigenous leaders, past and present. 

The film director Alfred Hitchcock made sure to appear in all of his movies, are you familiar with his work? We are curious if there is a reason why you often insert yourself into your paintings. Can you explain this to us?

The self-portrait is my way of putting myself in the narrative, bringing together past and present and combining my personal history with whatever and whoever I choose to paint.

How does it feel to know that you have fans like Fort Gansevoort on the other side of the world?

Where I live in Indulkana in Central Australia is very remote, it’s a small community in the middle of the desert. It just shows the power of the paintbrush, to know that there’s people on the other side of the world who have noticed what me and my colleagues are doing in our studio here. It makes me proud that I can connect with people and share my perspective.

Tiger’s artworks often reference ‘mamu’ (supernatural/mythical spirit beings from Anangu cultural stories) – because Tiger is largely non-verbal, he isn’t able to share much in the way of further detail about these creatures and their role in his work. With assistance from his family, Tiger has communicated that the mamu in his work are a playful, mischevious, comedic presence, rather than being overtly menacing or evil. 

"The existence of such Evil Beings is an unremarkable phenomenon, given that most religious and mythological traditions possess their own demons and supernatural entities. Monstrous beings are allegorical in nature, personifying evil ... Importantly, in Aboriginal Australia, these figures and their attendant narratives provide a valuable source of knowledge about the hazards of specific places and environments. Most important of all is their social function in terms of engendering fear and caution in young children, commensurate with the very real environmental perils that they inevitably encounter."

-- Courtesy of ‘Dreamings’ and place – Aboriginal monsters and their meanings, Christine Judith Nicholis

Yaltangki’s works are intimately connected with the music he consumes. Combining his signature style with his musical influences, the artist presents Angus Young through a mythical lens. As a result, his work yields an amalgamation of disparate cultural elements within a fantastical visual language. 

What is your favorite thing to do when you are not making art?

Listening to music.

What has been the biggest accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Showing my work ‘TIGERLAND’ at ACCA (Australian Centre for Contemporary Art).

What does Iwantja mean to you?

Home.

Who are the figures in your paintings?

Kutjupa-kutjupa (different-different) – sometimes mamu (Anangu spirit beings) sometimes real people (self-portraits, family/friends, musicians), sometimes animals and dinosaurs.