Ngokngok (Owl)
Ngokngok or mun-ngokngok is the Southern Boobook owl. Their clan is Warrawarra and the are connected to traditional healers.
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In-Between Days
Some men gone hunting. The women stay at the camp. They collect bush tucker. This is south west (Petermann Ranges) way. My family. Start of in-between days. Aṉangu living in wiltja.
Dimensions: 400 x 1480 mm acrylic on linen
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Donkeys all around Chambers Pillar
‘All the donkey in that desert Country south of Titjikala. Those three circles are Chambers Pillar, Castle Rock, and her poor mother trailing behind. We call Chambers Pillar Iterrkewarre [pronounced it-turk-kar-wara]. He’s knob-tailed gecko man. He came up from Finke River [down south] and travels all over the area before his family banished him for marrying up a girl. But she’s his mother-in-law. That’s against our Law.’
Following his banishment, the couple retreated into the desert, Iterrkewarre raging in fury, the girl facing away from him in deep shame. Among the dunes they rested and turned into prominent rocky formations – Iterrkewarre into the Pillar, the girl into Castle Rock. They are trailed by the girl’s mother, known as Window Rock.
Dimensions: 660 x 1170 mm
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Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House. Artists Sally and Marlene travelled to Sydney, they had an exhibition there. All the school kids watching the harbour bridge. All the Aboriginal people stay there for long time in Sydney, lots of tourists hanging around taking photo.
Sally M Nangala Mulda and Marlene Rubuntja had their artworks projected onto the Sydney Opera House as a part of the exhibition, Badu Gili: Wonder Women.
Dimensions: 660 x 1220 mm
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Emu dreaming
Emu looking around for water. This is a Dreaming story from my father’s country, other side of Yuendumu. Past Mandarin Station, through there and other side. Emu looking round for water, they are three waterholes. I’ve painted the country side after big rain, flowers everywhere. The emu is looking for yellow fruit to eat, with seed. The snake is in the waterholes.
Dimensions: 560 x 560 mm
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Wardapi Jukurrpa
‘This painting is about the way women hunt Wardapi – that sand goanna. He digs holes in the dunes, makes his nest deep inside. Many of the holes all join up. Women hunt Wardapi in the dunes by digging out the holes. Sometimes cover one, and Wardapi runs out other one. Need to hunt him together. Find all the holes. Dig them at the same time. Someone going to get him that way.’
The Wardapi Jukurrpa [Varanus Gouldii Goanna] belongs to the Spencer Sisters. It comes from Yarripilangku [aka Yinyiripalangu], south-west of Yuendumu. A group of Warlpiri Karnta [women] are sitting down in a circle when a Japangardi Wati [man] from Puturlu [Mt Theo], called Wamaru came upon them. He wants to take one of them, named Yurlkurinyi, of Nungarrayi skin, which is the wrong skin for him. He takes the Nungarrayi woman up a hill, where they make love. In response, the earth on top of the hill turns to Ngunjungunju [white ochre], and yellow and red ochre. The yellow is for Karnta and the red for Wati. The ochre is used by Warlpiri people for love magic and ceremonial decoration. The Wati turns all the Karnta and himself into Wardapi, aka Varanus Gouldii goannas. This Jukurrpa belongs to the Napaljarri/Japaljarri and Nungarrayi /Jungarrayi subsections, and the Japanangka/Napanangka, Japangardi/Napangardi subsections of Puturlu. The women are often represented by ‘U’ shapes. Concentric circles may illustrate Wardapi holes, or their droppings left behind them, and Wardapi tracks are usually represented by ‘W’ shapes and wavy lines.
Dimensions: 660 x 660 mm Acrylic on Linen
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Watiyawarnu
Women collecting Watiyawarnu (Acacia tenuissima). Back at camp after collecting the seeds they make large windbreaks for shelter and winnow the seed in the late afternoon. Immature watiyawarnu seed is ground into a paste and can be used to treat upset stomachs. There is an important ceremony for this Tjukurrpa.
Dimensions: 300 x 300 mm
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Women Collecting Bush Food
Women talking about collecting bush food – where the best places are and the best times, whether seasonal or dependent on rain events – All the women sit with their digging sticks and piti’s [coolamons] around the hearth to talk about these aspects of collecting bush food.
Dimensions: 510 x 510 mm
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Bush Tomato
Bush tomato is a small perennial shrub native to Central Australia, particularly arid regions of the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia. It typically grows 20–30 cm tall and produces small, round yellow fruits that dry naturally on the plant. The dried fruits have a strong, savoury, slightly caramel-like flavour and are widely used in Indigenous Australian cuisines. The plant thrives in sandy or rocky desert soils and responds well after fire or seasonal rains.
Dimensions: 560 x 560 mm
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Waterholes
Sandra has mapped the fresh water springs around Mimili.
Dimensions: 305 x 305 mm