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Karrkurutinja – Lake Macdonald
This painting shows Karrkurrutintja (Lake Mcdonald in Pintpui), located west of Kintore along the Western Australia/Northern Territory border. This country is an important site of the Pilkati (snake) Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) of Kuniya Kutjarra (two carpet snakes, two brothers, two Tjangalas). This is the place where the snake lives and from which it travels to Haasts Bluff sometimes.
This is the country and Tjukurrpa of the artist’s grandmother, Narputta Nangala Jugadai, who was born there. Narputta was passed down this story from her father, Talaku Tjampitjinpa. Narputta was one of the founding members of Ikuntji Artists, and has been painting since the beginning of the desert painting movement in the 1970s.
Kuniya Kitjarra (Two carpet snakes) as told by Narputta,
“Two Tjangalas were travelling, looking for meat. Their grandfather, Tiwil Tjangala, asked them for kaniya (carpet snake). They hid the snake under their feet, ‘No, We’ve got no meat.’ Tiwil turned around to make a fire and the two Tjangalas ran off with the snake. They were confronted by their father, Talaku Tjampitjinpa, and he said, ‘You boys are mad to play games with your grandfather’. The grandfather ht them both on the head with a stone axe, and killed them. They’re loying on their bellies, at Karrkurrutintj, near Lampintja, in the salt lake (the older brother in front, the younger brother behind). That’s the story I put on the canvas. The colours that I put on remind me of this story.”
