Background
He was born at Napperby in the Northern Territory around 1923.
He was born at Napperby in the Northern Territory around 1923.
lieutenant is unclear exactly when he started painting, however, he was a regular painter during his many years as a pensioner at Mount Allan. He was one of the most flamboyant figures in this small community and was an elder of the Anmatyerre tribe. His artwork and art themes were taken from his country and included caterpillar, men"s love story, possum and men"s dreamings.
Cassidy"s full brother was Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, one of the most famous of all "first generation" contemporary Indigenous Australian artists.
Clifford died in mid-2002. These two dreamings were dramatically different in their construction, composition and colours to all of his earlier paintings.
Cassidy was one of the first generation artists who painted important and powerful dreamings that preserved his culture.