Elliott Ronald Bull (1942–1979) was an

Aboriginal Australian Aboriginal Australians are the various indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, excluding the ethnically distinct people of the Torres Strait Islands. Humans first migrated to Australia 50,000 to 65,000 year ...

artist who produced 2,000 works throughout his life. He is described by the

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

as "a significant figure in the regional history of Aboriginal Australia". Much of Bull's works feature elements of Aboriginal identity and landscapes. His artistic works have often compared to those created by artist

Albert Namatjira Albert Namatjira (; born Elea Namatjira; 28 July 1902 – 8 August 1959) was an Arrernte painter from the MacDonnell Ranges in Central Australia, widely considered one of the most notable Australian artists. As a pioneer of contemporary Indige ...

. Once while serving a prison sentence in

Pentridge Prison HM Prison Pentridge, better known as Pentridge Prison, was an Australian prison established in 1851 in Coburg, Victoria. The first convicts arrived at the gaol in 1851. The facility closed on 1 May 1997, although some of the heritage-listed buil ...

, Bull painted a mural on the walls of his cell in 1960. This mural is considered one of Bull's most notable and important works. Many sources relating to Bull's life are held by the

National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...

References

1942 births 1979 deaths Australian Aboriginal artists 20th-century Australian male artists Australian landscape painters Australian prisoners and detainees {{Australia-artist-stub