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My Grandfather Rammey Ramsay country – WARLAWOON
This painting was inspired by Monica Cann’s grandfather- Mr. Rammey Ramsey- senior Gija man of Jungoora skin, whose ancestral Country lies to the west of Bedford Downs near Elgee Cliffs.
Ramsey said: “This is my place called Warlawoon. They named me Warlawoon for my Country here. There is a Dreamtime waterhole there, a place where many fish live.
This is my mother and father’s Country. I own that Country from my mother and father. Lots of people used to live here with my parents.”
Monica’s grandfather Mr. Rammey Ramsay 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.
Ramsey now lives in Bow River. 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.
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Garn’giny Ngarranggarni – Mabel Juli
Well this the dreamtime story about Wardal and Garn’giny (star and moon). That’s what my mother and dad told me about that Dreamtime thing.
“Garn’giny ngelmang roord-ngarri nginji.
The moon sits in the east.
Wardal dal gerloorr ngarrgalen.
The star sits on top of the hills.
Laarne berdij nginiyi danyi garn’giny.
The moon went and climbed that hill.
Wijige-ngarri ngoorramangbe-ngiyiwa thamboorroo-gal.
They made him run away because he loved his mother-in-law.
(That moon loved his mother in-law, but they told him he couldn’t love her and to go away.)
Ganybelgbe nginini.
He felt shame (and climbed up the hill).
Gerlewirring deg nginini.
He was looking from on top [of the hill].
Nginini-birri “Nanggayib barrroonnha.”
He told all the people “You will all die.”
Nginini-birri “Ngayimoowana mooliyinde ngenben’ge.
He told them “I will be the only one living”.
(He cursed those people.)
“Boora-boorab ngeliyande” wanemayi-birri melagawoom dam, woorrji-ngarri berrani yilag.
“I will keep coming back” he told them all, while they were sitting down below.
(You are all going to die and I will be still alive, coming out.)
“Daam merrgernbem boorarrgarr ngeliyande.”
“After three days camp I will rise from the dead.”
Nanggayibwa berrayin-gili namoowana ngininji.
They all died and he was the only one that stayed alive.
Merrgern daam nginji boorab ngidji, daam merrgernbem.”
He camps (sleeps ~ dies) for three days then appears (again as the moon), after three days.
This is Yarin country in Darrajayin (Springvale Station) which lies south of Warmun. This is Juli’s traditional country.
The star in the paintings is the promised wife of the moon, the straight skin to be his wife. He wanted dawool, the woman who became the black headed python who was the mother of wardal, the star, i.e. his mother-in-law.
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Bush Flowers
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.
“When I go out hunting, I like to see all the bush flowers that are flowering and then when I come back, I paint them.”
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Springvale near Mabel Downs
“Well this one you know, our land, well before, no Gardiya (whitefella) was coming before… so I drew this one, like our ancestors from the Ngarrangarni (dreamtime), they lived in the cave, that’s their home, from long time before.
And this now (the rest of the painting), this is Mabel Downs today. And, before they didn’t have houses like that, and then Gardiya been coming along, and we been start to meet up with Gardiya. Our people meet up with Gardiya and Gardiya been build a house like that for us.
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My Country – Diane Kemarre Ross
The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit.
“This is my country, it’s the country around Irrultja. This is where we like to go after big rain. After big rain there, we can go swimming. There is always good hunting on my country. It is good for me to paint my country and it makes me feel good.” – Dianne
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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.
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Great Grandmothers Country – Gunderson Kemarre Lewis
I paint my Great Grandmothers country around Canteen Creek. Long time ago she hunted around this soakage in this country. When I paint, I paint that country, the soakage the bushflowers the sandhills and the distant mountains. I hunt this country now.