221382329199
Spider, Bats & Tree
This painting depicts a small component of a longer Yirritja moiety songline. This has been painted on the traditional medium of dried and flattened stringybark. This bark is held in place by two plum tree sticks which helps the painting remain flat as humidity levels change. These sticks are bound using anbutbut (kurrajong) inner bark which is often used to make bush string.
Summarising the songline, the dance begins as a tree root, which grows into a small tree. From here it becomes a big tree along with a spider, flower pollen and hungry bats. At the end a dingo is involved. To finish the ceremonial dance, dancers are smoked, with the smoke releasing the spirit which holds this songline knowledge allowing it to move on to the next person.
The small component shown in this painting – from the larger over all songline – consists of a growing tree in centre, two separate spider webs on the right, and two bats on the left. The spider is only found out bush and not to be confused with a spider around camp. Dots represented in the painting depict flower pollen blown into the spider web. This pollen is food for the bush bats.
Painting has been completed using a handmade grass reed brush called Jarlk. Raark or fineline work is in Yirritja style and consists of multiple lines before alternating colour. Modern acrylic paint has been used.
