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Mungili Waterhole

“No one goes there and sees that landscape. Only two, Mr and Mrs [refers to footsteps in painting]. They was walking to see if the water was in there. Walking on the creek sand, they see the colours and walk down to the water hole and dig where the waters been left. Dig the creek sand where there is still water. Little huts where they sit; move when it dries out. Leave remembrance behind. When the water fills up again; come back.

When the creek sand is still moist you can see the colours. You can see many colours – lovely colours come out. I do that in my mind [when painting], go and think about the rock colours there.

Different plants, water runs, and different plants are growing, different seeds. When it rains, all year round, when its overflowing. It’s all connected. The orange sand connects to one waterhole full of water, then flowing through the creek sand. This side down [pointing to one rock hole]; and it’s a bit up [pointing to another rock hole].

I was swimming there. Yeah, we go visit them a long time [ago]. We drink it, rainwater from the rain. Big waterhole. It’s a fresh water, when the rain comes, fills it up. One for swimming and another rock hole for drinking. 3 rock holes; another is special.”

– Marlene Anderson

In this work Marlene depicts a waterhole and rock hole located in Mungili, the small outstation community located just off the Eagle Highway in Western Australia, approximately 430 kilometres northeast of Wiluna and 250 kilometres north of Warburton. Marlene grew up in Mungili, and as such it forms a significant part of her ‘ngurra’ (home Country, camp). Typically Marlene depicts this site with a central large circular form that represents the main waterhole, surrounded by smaller circular forms representing satellite water bodies.

During the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) period, knowledge of water sources was critical for survival, and today Martu Country is still defined in terms of the location and type of water. Each of the hundreds of claypans, rockholes, waterholes, soaks and springs found in the Martu desert homelands is known through real life experience and the recounting of Jukurrpa (Dreaming) narratives by name, location, quality and seasonal availability. This encyclopedic knowledge extends even to the nature and movement of arterial waterways, and sustained Martu as they travelled across their Country, hunting and gathering, visiting family, and fulfilling ceremonial obligations. They would traverse very large distances annually, visiting specific areas in the dry and wet season depending on the availability of water and the corresponding cycles of plant and animal life on which hunting and gathering bush tucker was reliant.

Categories: Shire of East Pilbara (Martumili Artists)

Name: Marlene Anderson

Language: Manyjilyjarra

Community: Jigalong

Biography:

“My mother and father were from Wiluna area. I was born out in the desert, Melrose Station near Wiluna. My mum and dad were working on the station there then. I did my schooling there, but I moved to Jigalong as a young girl, then had my first child there. I’ve got three children and a step son too. 

[I started painting ] in Jigalong, one day at that little art shed there when Gabrielle [Sullivan, inaugural manager of Martumili Artists] was still the manager. When I shift to Newman I started painting in that old centre sometimes. 

One day at this new [art centre] building I just started coming in with Anya [Judith Samson]. She was giving me a little bit of advice, saying I should come in and do something! I just started doing it then, doing it more and more. It’s good to paint. I was looking at other people that paint, seeing their paintings get sold, so I thought “Oh yeah, I’ll start then!” It’s fun. I couldn’t stop painting now, I’m painting every day!  

I tried every painting style. Now I found this different way to paint, doing the dot paintings, and this is the one I like most. It’s relaxing! I use a long stick. I paint all the different colours I see out in Country. I like to paint about all the bush foods and wildflowers. We go out getting honey ants and bush potatoes from the ground and bush bananas on a tree, hunting for goanna.

I work with KJ [local ranger group, Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa), take the kids out Country, out in the bush. ‘Kids on Country’ we call it. It helps them to go out Country. When they go out and see the countryside and the bush, makes them feel a bit happy and like they want to go out more and more. I help take them out to track a goanna, take them right up to the hole and they dig it out. Any kids can come- like eight (years), ten, twelve, fourteen… We work with the ones who wander around in Newman, who aren’t going to school. Some kids don’t like going to school- their parents send them to school but they go around another way. It’s important for them to learn the traditions from their old people so they can be proud of themselves. I paint about the same things they learn out on Country; going and getting the honey ants, goanna, bush tomatoes and bush berries. I also do patrol at night with the women’s shelter to help the kids, help [their] families. They need someone like me to go out and help them and take them home.

I’ve had my painting in the gallery here in Newman. That felt good to see my painting on the wall. I feel happy and proud when someone buys one of my paintings.”

 - Marlene Anderson

 

Marlene Anderson has painted with Martumili Artists for over a decade, beginning at a 2010 workshop in the Jigalong art shed. Today she is one of Martumili’s core artists, painting daily from her home or the Newman studio. Her style is marked by an intuitive approach to composition, colour palettes, and variation in mark making to create bold and dynamic works. In 2023, her work was featured in Revealed: New and Emerging WA Aboriginal Artists. Through painting and her work with Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa’s 'Kids on Country' program, Marlene fosters pride and connection to Country for future generations.

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