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No. 116 to 124
Natural ochre acrylic paints in four base colours used on stretched canvas referred to by the Yolngu people as ‘white man's bark’. Prior, these images have been painted on the body or on bark for traditional cultural ceremonies. more information
Food-Gathering-No.A1
No. A1
Artist: Ian Wuruwul
Clan: Ganalbingu
Moiety: Yirritja
Homeland: Mapuru
Born: 1950
Title: FOOD GATHERING
Size:1220 x 1220 cm
Canvas / Acrylic / Traditional
This large painting divided into four parts, top left hand side being the tubes under the water from the waterlily (Barnambirr) regarded by the Yolgnu people as the morning star. The right hand square, two bats have been killed for food. Two escaping to freedom. Below the Magpie Geese defend their nest full of eggs by camouflaging with grass over the eggs. Right hand side the Black Brim swim beneath the stems of the waterlily. The long red shape is symbolic of the sexual organ of a dog. The dog runs in the waterbed to cover its tracks. The red square middle of the painting is where the sacred water hole, black circle, is hidden deep within a large cave. The wild dog makes their home in peace, knowing should they be killed there is freshwater (indicated by white lines flowing downwards from centre red square) for the pups to survive.
While gathering their food from this billabong, the Yolgnu sing songs and are all very happy because they, the people, animals, plants all come together sharing and eating the food from this place. Everyone is always very happy here. Around the outside of the painting are dots, the black indicates old bat droppings the lighter one fresh bat droppings.
This painting is about a near by sacred billabong not far the outstation Marpuru from were Ian lives with his family. The billabong with its bird and plant life makes an ideal place to gather food. Ian’s painting is divided into four parts; the top left-hand square is about food gathering from beneath the water called tubers. Right hand top where they hunt for bats, two in this story are dead to escape to freedom the other two hide amongst the leaves. Bottom left two Black Brim swim through the stems and tubers of the waterlilies. Right hand bottom above the water the magpie geese make their nest, camouflaged from other predators. Surrounded by the flower called (Barnambirr) Morning Star, the stem being the path across the sky, the flower being the glow, the boarder dividing the four squares, white indicating freshwater, ochre being dirty or mixed water, in the middle square is a sacred waterhole beneath a large cave were a wild dog lives with its pups in safety.
Indigenous Art by Galiwinku community on Elcho Island
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