Blog

220982327607

My Country is Irrultja – Kindy Kemarre Ross

The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories belong. 

“My country is called Irrultja, it’s past the hill and the dried-up creek from here, it’s a nice place, my dad’s country too, and my Mum’s country is here in Ampilatwatja. When I go to see my country, we always go to gather bush medicine, we always climb up the hill that’s in the south, we always go there. We like to look out over the land and there are lots of flowers and bush medicine up there. I love my countryside; I see the nice flowers and gather bush medicine for me and my family. I like to paint a mix of wildflowers and bush medicines in all my paintings because it reminds me of my favourite part of my country and when it rains the flowers come out. Yeah, my countryside.”

By CompNet Systems, ago

220982327477

My Grandmothers Country-Elizabeth Ngwarra Bonney

I still hunt my Grand Mothers country for goanna, bush medicine and yams.

I hunt all year round, hunting and walking through the country makes me happy.  When I look at the distant hills I can feel my grandmother.  Bush flowers are everywhere.

Painting my grandmother’s country reminds about those times.

By CompNet Systems, ago

220982328172

View Of Country

The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories, the artists paint their country where those stories sit.

This painting shows the layered landscape of Alyawarr, Central Australia. Knowing your country is an important part of living in a remote community like Ampilatwatja. Knowing when and where to go hunting and gathering, knowing where there is ‘soakage’ (where you can dig for water), travelling with family for ceremonies, and maintaining a connection with the land.

“This is my country, my view of country.”

By CompNet Systems, ago

115682328079

Raypiny Dhawu (Fresh Water Story)

All Aboriginal people originate from a spiritual source, fixed in a particular place in their land or the sea. These ‘spiritual reservoirs’ are often in the form of special waterholes made by Wangarr (creative spirits) that were created long ago close to the beginning of time. These creator beings moved across the countryside, shaping the land and implanting in each tract of country, the spiritual life force for the people who were to own it. These creative spirits took many forms and when they gave the land to each group, they also gave songs, dances, ceremony, the associated laws and language.

 

The creation story for Ganalbingu people took place near the middle section of the Glyde River where it becomes the Goyder River. Their land, Ngaliyindi, sits astride the Arafura Swamp in Central Arnhem Land. Many Ganalbingu artists paint totemic species significant to their clan. These can include baru (crocodile), banda (long necked turtle), buliya (catfish), yalman (waterlilies), gumang (magpie geese), dakawa (fresh water yabby), ratjuk (barramundi), warrnyu (flying fox) and more.

 

By CompNet Systems, ago

220982328048

Bushflowers – Lotoya Petrick

The artists of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit.

These bush flowers grow seasonly in Alyawarr country, some of which are also used in bush medicine remedies.

“I have just started painting, my grandmother Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney has been teaching me, she tells me all about the bush Flowers

By CompNet Systems, ago

220982328047

Bush Flowers – Dakota Petrick

The artists of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit.

These bush flowers grow seasonly in Alyawarr country, some of which are also used in bush medicine remedies.

“My twin sister Lotoya and I have just started painting, our grandmother Elizabeth Ngwarraye Bonney has been teaching us, she tells us all about the bush Flowers and bush medicine.

By CompNet Systems, ago

110682328251

WARLAWOON COUNTRY

 

Monica was inspired to paint this painting in the original style of her grandfather, Rammey Ramsay.

The colours are different but the story remains the same. 

Rammey’s intimate knowledge of waterholes, dreaming, camping and ceremonial sites across Warlawoon Country inform the composition of his paintings. Although minimalist is appearance his works are laden with narrative.  His work is forever infused with the memory of Warlawoon Country together with a longing for Country his work teases out the complexities of Gija world-views and the impact of pastoral occupation on his land.

By CompNet Systems, ago

110682329185

Warmun

This painting was inspired by a painting by my grandfather Churchill Cann. The river divides the Top Camp, Middle Camp, Bottom Camp and Other Side. The different areas we live in Warmun.

By CompNet Systems, ago

110682329184

TEXAS SPRINGS

This painting is inspired by by Grandfather Churchill Cann. He often painted Texas.

This is what he said about one of his paintings – “I remember the Texas Springs well – as a kid on Texas, we used to take the nanny goats out for a drink as the water is there all year round. The top left is Bulungu Springs and then Moonlight Spring to the right. The white is the airstrip near the new Homestead – all overgrown now. Then the bottom left of painting is Sandy Rock Hole  (good for swimming). There is also Rock Hole, Station Creek and Lolly Creek.”

By CompNet Systems, ago

110682329182

Ngarinjin/Wanjina Spirit man

The Wanjina is a creator of country. The snake represents people causing trouble, for example man killing man, so snake comes to deal with them.

The Wanjina is a spirit man there were three kind of them that came from three different tribes from top part of the area was Woonambul mob from Gibb River going back to Kulumbaroo. The middle tribe was Ngarinjin mob also from Gibb River way all the way back to Mounthouse. Then there was Woolungoo mob started also from Mounthouse back to derby which was the bottom tribe.

The old people back then believed the Wanjina were the creators of land, water, grass, rocks and all living animalas country.  The snake represents a punisher, meaning if man makes trouble to another man or family the snake goes out to kill the man whos causing trouble. The Wanjina can change also into flesh to fight with other Wanjinas because they were territorial like Ngarinjin mob for Wanjina be bin fighting got another Wanjina in Ngarinjin Country and till to this day you can seee the big flat oval shaped ground filled with just dirt and nothing grows on the oval shape, its just dirt. My grandmother from my father side is a Ngarinjin women. She believied old Wanjina The Spirit Man was the creator of the Ngarinjin country til to this day you can see rock painting of wanjina-spiritman everywhere throughout Ngarinjin country and the other two tribes. 

By CompNet Systems, ago