The flight of Bunjil – sacred eagle

 

Bunjil Eagle Kinetic Sculpture

The video below features a large kinetic sculpture currently on display at the Melbourne Museum. It is inspired by the notion of continuity and the omni-present nature of creation, its form symbolising Bunjil the Creator, as a wedge tail eagle in flight. It has a wing span of 2.2 metres  in width, mirroring the size and majestic nature of the wedge tail eagle, and is in constant motion. The moving form shows the wings of a bird in flight yet also reflects a universal motion seen throughout nature – the movement of a wave, the lines of a mountain range, a manta ray moving through water, a snake moving across the land.

This immersive, multi-sensory experience invites visitors to connect to a spiritual and sensory awakening, bringing together sound, visual art, technology and storytelling, as it represents the essence of creation for Victorian Aboriginal people and displays their spiritual connection to country.

 

 

Flight of Bunjil kinetic sculpture, music ‘Touching Silk’ by Frank Steiner Jr.

 

Flight of Bunjil at the Creation Cinema in the Melbourne Museum was developed under the guidance of the First Peoples Yulendj Group and is a creative collaboration between Glenn Romanis (Wedge-tailed Eagle feathers), Synthesis Design + Build (Bunjil’s Nest), ENESS (concept, design, vision and sound for Bunjil’s wings) and Melbourne Museum (overall concept and design).

 

phibs-2012 - Bunjil -Eagle Spirit - Aerosol, Acrylic & Ink on Canvas

‘Bunjil Eagle Spirit’ – Phibs

Aerosol, Acrylic & Ink on Canvas – 2012

 

 

Flight of Bunjil

 

The ancient Kulin indigenous tribes of central Victoria regarded the eagle called Bunjil as their ancestral guardian spirit. Bunjil was also seen as a creator spirit who created plants, animals and men from clay. He also shaped the environment and began the cycles of creation while his brother Bat, created woman from water. Bunjil’s son, Binbeal created rainbows and his wife is the second rainbow you sometimes see as a reflection. The Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin nation saw Bunjil as an ancestral father and protector who presided over their art, ceremony and survival skills. All the Kulin people have a defining social moiety of either Bunjil or Waa, the trickster crow.
During an ancient time of conflict and chaos, through neglect of laws and tradition, tribes started warring, which caused the sea to start rising. The elders contacted Bunjil and asked him to intervene which led to Bunjil having a confrontation with the sea resulting in the waters subsiding. They were warned to stop hunting animals as a sport and fishing during the spawning season, as they were in violation of old practices.  A permanent meeting place was chosen to resolve their conflicts, which was used over thousands of years and is now where the Parliament House of Victoria stands. The Wurundjeri believe Bunjil keeps a watchful eye over their people and offers guidance to those who listen.

 

 

 

Bunjil-the-creator-Spirit-at-healesville-sanctuary

Bunjil the Creator Spirit – 7 meter wing span

Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria

 

 

Torquay-Sundial-Bnnjil,-Bindi,-cockatoos lizard mosaic

`Torquay mosaic sundial, when you stand on Bunjil, your shadow indicates the time

Designed and built by local artists, Claire Gittings & Glen Romanis (about 120,00 glass tiles)

 

 

Torquay_Sundial_Sundial_Artwork-Designers-and-Installers-local-artists,-Claire-Gittings-&-Glen-Romanis

Sundial with elaborate artwork representing a number of traditional dreaming stories of the Wathaurong aboriginal people, including Mindii, the ever watchful Snake and Bunjil, the Eagle, Creator and Overseer

Torquay, Victoria

 

 

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Torquay Sundial next to Bass Strait

 

 

 

 

Bunjil-and-Melbourne-city Glenn Guy, Blue Sky Photography

Monumental Bunjil sculpture by Bruce Armstrong – height 25 metres

Docklands, Melbourne

Glenn Guy, Blue Sky Photography

 

Casey-Cultural-Precinct-

Casey Cultural Precinct ( currently under construction )

Narre Warren, Melbourne

 

 

www.sirum1.com on Instagram “Recent collaboration with the awesome adnate complete bunjil adnate sirum melbournestreetart Photo thanks to deansunshine

Street mural – Bunjil – Adnate and Sirum

 

 

 

thereisafield---Instagram bunjil in flight cloud form at sunset

Bunjil clouds

thereisafield – Instagram

 

 

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Bunjil wood carved sculpture – Lewoo @Instagram

Bodalla, NSW

 

 

 

artist-Heesco-created-the-two-storey-tall-Albert-Street-mural-of-Bunjil-the-Creator

Large Bunjil mural by Heesco

Albert Street Footscray, Melbourne

 

 

Bunjil.-He-is-the-eagle-(or-eaglehawk)-a-creator-deity,-culture-hero-and-ancestral-being-of-the-Kulin-nation

‘Heaven Comes Down’ – Safina Stewart

 

 

Australian aboriginal Bunjil---sacred eagle

Bunjil

 

Bunjil--panting indiginous

Bunjil – Iluka Art & Design 

 

 

 

 

Bunjil and Bindi mural Landscape-Architects---Green---Dale-Associates

 

Bunjil the eagle and Bindi the snake mural (yin/yang)

Landscape Architects—Green and Dale Associates

 

 

 

Bunjil-Tree-Of-Life--digital art by Robby Hood - eagle in flight

‘Bunjil – In The Beginning’  – digital art by Robbie Hood

 

 

 

Golden-Rainbow-Serpent-Bindi - digital art by Robby-Hood

‘ Bindi Rising’ – digital art by Robbie Hood

 

 

 

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Stone carved eagle sculpture by Jian Hua

Sculpture by the sea – 2007

 

 

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‘The eagle with the nest’

Wrought iron eagle feeding young sculpture

Ferro Battuto Di Prinzio Italy

 

 

indiginous-face-street-mural Melbourne by Matt Adnate

Matt Adnate street mural Hosier Lane, Melbourne

 

 

wurundjeri tribe Victoria

Wurundjeri Indigenous Australians

 

 

Bunjils-Nest-HealsvilleSanctuary-DavidDigapony-Instagram

Bunjil’s Nest – Healesville Sanctuary

David Digapony-Instagram

 

 

Urban-Art-NOW-–-Matt-Adnate-Solo-show-at-Metro-Gallery

Solo show of Matt Adnate at Metro Gallery

 

 

 

This-Geoglyph-was-created-as-a-tribute-to-the-Creator-Spirit-Bunjil-and-is-also-one-of-the-world-wide-'Rhythm-of-Life'-series-of-sculptures-The-Pocket-Rocket---flickr

This Geoglyph was created by Andrew Rogers as a tribute to the Creator Spirit Bunjil and is one of the world wide ‘Rhythm of Life’ series of-sculptures. It has a 100 metre wingspan.

You Yangs mountains, Victoria

The Pocket Rocket—flickr

 

 

Mad-Max-meets-Bunjil

The original Mad Max was filmed around the volcanic plains of the You Yangs, which are sacred to the Wurundjeri. I was curious to see that a Bunjil like symbol featured in the new installment.

 

 

 

Phlegm-Perth-2014.-Photograph-by-Luke-Shirlaw.-Image-courtesy-of-FORM--

Wall mural by Phlegm  (click expand)

Perth, Australia 2014.

Photograph by Luke Shirlaw. Image courtesy of FORM

 

 

Spirit-of-Bunjil-by-Kuba-Ambrose sacred eagle

 

‘Spirit of Bunjil’  by Kuba Ambrose

 

 

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Mosaic glass plate – Lynn Bevino Felts

 

 

 

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Harpy eagle as totem by ravenari

 

 

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Sacred ‘Eagle Rock’ – You Yangs

 

 

Lima-de-Freitas-for-SPAL-The-beautiful-image-of-the-Eagle,-which-was-made-up-of-grouped-souls,-Ledas-the-joy-of-His-Beatitude,-showed-to-me-with-open-wings.-Paradise,-Canto-XIX,-1-3

Ceramic plate with eagle motif painted by Freitas de Lima for SPAL Porcelanas, Portugal

 

 

Soldiers-Memorial-in-Saint-Louis,-Missouri---eagle sculpture

Art Deco eagle – Walker Hancock?

St. Louis, Missouri

 

 

Roman-gold-pectoral-with-relief-representations-of-Jupiter,-Juno-and-Minerva---detail-of-eagle-Dan-Diffendale

Roman golden eagle pectoral

Dan Diffendale – flickr

 

 

Bunjil-Safina

Bunjil – Safina

 

 

 

This Art Deco statue graces the entrance of the First Merit Tower in Akron Ohio

Majestic Art Deco eagle statue at the entrance of the First Merit Tower in Akron, Ohio

 

 

 

‘Bunjil’-was--stolen,-from-a-three-metre-high-pole in December 2015

 Bunjil steel sculpture, Knox, Melbourne

Wurundjeri elder Bill Nicholson, aboriginal artist James Simon and sculptor Benjamin Gilbert worked together to develop the life-size eagle, with help from aboriginal students from remote central and northern Australian communities. This sculpture was stolen in December, 2015

 

 

 

Bunjil-dancing Nathan Patterson - Iluka Art & Design

Nathan Patterson –  Iluka Art & Design

 

 

Bunjil mural – Be Deadly

 1 Perry Street Collingwood (Chopper Lane)

 

 

 

 

 

NEXT POST – Intriguing clayart oddities and obscuria’s

 

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