Colin Wightman
‘Optically Addicted’ — Penny Evans
‘Spirit Ark Navigation by the Stars’ — Arone Meeks
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This work is based on navigation by the stars, the boat being both a symbolic vehicle to travel back to the dreaming in and a connection with country, spirit and place. Contained within this vessel are elements of my childhood – the figure with three dillybags, a guiding light (far left), my mother (far right) and the three mangrove men figures. These designs, like those below the boat in the water, are location markers. They talk of the dugong seagrasses, irukandji jellyfish, sea cucumbers and the spawning coral.
Other key elements to the work are the different stages of personal growth through my years as a painter and printmaker and my relationship to place.
Indigenous art from Aboriginal Myths, Fables and Legends
Deciphering the Dreamtime
Originally, Aboriginal peoples depicted their Dreamings by painting them in the sands and the earth or on rocks and tree bark. Also during ceremonies, they used their bodies for expressing sacred designs and for demonstrating their cultural knowledge and identitiy. They used their art to ensure a continuity of lineage with their ancients and preserve their stories.
The ‘Dreaming’ was refrerred to as “the Law”, being a universal language that governs all people, places, and things and brings them together under one unifing principal. The Dreaming is not connected by a finite period of time but is regarded as being continually occurring and is ever-present in Aboriginal Australian culture. The past and future merge into the present and becomes a conduit to access their transformative/shape shifting Ancestors.
A design made up of different symbols tells the story of a particular mythical ancestral heroes journey to get to his final resting place. The individual symbols map out that journey. When the symbols are arranged together they represent that mythical ancestor journey and the place his spirit now resides.
Shorty Jangala Robertson, ‘Ngapa Jukurrpa – Puyurru (Water Dreaming at Puyurru)’, 2007, acrylic on canvas.
This painting describes a particular place (the Tanami desert and the water courses above and below ground) It refers to an ancient story (the Ancestors singing down the rain in a great thunderstorm) and his spiritual connection to the land and its importance to his culture.
Practical guidance on where to find food and water and where to hunt was also represented in their art narratives. Long curving lines depicted rivers while repeating concentric circles indictaed where to locate water holes and wells. The dreamtime stories also taught them about how to maintain the wellbeing of their lands and live in harmony with each other and the animals. The spiritual relevence and power of a certain location to various people was also revealed.
The symbols in aboriginal art are design specific. Symbols have different meanings depending on which design is being painted. A concentric circle on one design may mean waterhole in one design or camp place in another. Aboriginal art symbols are not like letters or hieroglyphics. They only have a specific meaning when they are within a particular design
Their Dreamings explained how the universe was created, how the land was shaped, and who and what came to live in it. The artists channeled the universal archetypes that manifested through their myths and the original spirit of the land was accsessed via their ceremonies. Using a timeless Dreaming conscioussness, they created an iconography with ceremonial mapping and impressionistic interretation to express connection to land and ancestors.
The Yerrakartarta ceramic mural
Constructed between 1993 – 1994, Lower Forecourt, Intercontinental Hotel, North Tce, Adelaide
Ainslie Roberts — ‘The Weeping Opal’
According to Aboriginals from around Andamooka in South Australia, opal was created when their ancestral being was conveyed to earth via a great rainbow. Where the rainbow connected with the land, great rocks and pebbles formed and glittered in the sun with all the colours of the rainbow and opals were born in the Dreamtime.
Bells Beach Bindi mural—Mark Trinha / Glenn Romanis
1996
Camouflage series Serving plate – Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo
Carole Foster — Sillers Lookout, Arkaroola
Catherine Manuell Design 2020 – ‘PutipulaTjuta bush yams’
Glenn Romanis Chaffey installation
Mal Chambers — Rock Wallaby oil painting
Charles Boyun–‘Waterlillies’
Arone Meeks — ‘Pornum Athoy’
1996
Lawrence Omeenyo Umpila – ‘Missus and Mister Croc’
2013-earthenware
Christina Gollan – The leafy sea dragon is only found in South Australia along the coast near Victor Harbour.
They grow to a length of about 40 cm and camouflage themselves in the seaweed
Alliison Milyika-Carroll Ngayuku Walka
Ernabella Arts
Aboriginal boy with Sand Goanna, Tjuwanpa Outstation
Photo Anders Zimny
Clem Rictor — ‘Murili’
2002
David Bosun — Baidamaw Titui Buna Urdhay Id
2012
Declan Apuatimi—Kurlama
1982-earth pigments on bark
Derek Jungarrayi Thompson ceramic vase
Dianne-Robinson — ‘Putipula’
‘Spirit Dreaming’–Bowl- Penny Evans
Djap Wurrung tree
Djap Wurrung trees have been used for around 50 generations as a place for local Aboriginal women to give birth
‘Dreamtime Sisters’ – Colleen Wallace Nungari
‘Eagle Catching Fish and Taking it to the Nest (Sea Eagle)’ –Turbo Brown
Elizabeth Sparks’- ‘Birds’ pottery plate
Ernabella Ceramics, Derek Jungarrayi Thompson – SOLD ,’Atila I (Mt Conner)’
2013
Stoneware with sgraffito, H 81.5cm
Ernabella Ceramics, Derek Jungarrayi Thompson – ‘Wanampi II’
2014, stoneware with sgraffito, H 45.5cm
Arone Meeks
Ernabella Ceramics, Pepai Carroll – ‘Walungurru I’
2015, stoneware with sgraffito, H 55cm
‘Eternal vigil’ – Karen Casey
1988-NGV
‘Fish and Storm Clouds’ (Guyi Na Ngawalngwal) –Lin Onus
1994
Carole Foster – ‘Cattle Muster’
Acrylic on canvas
Manyung Gallery Group
George Djelminy — ‘Flying Fox Dreaming’
NGV–1968
‘Ghost Gum, MacDonnell Ranges’ — Albert Namatjira
Handmade pottery Fruit Bowl – June Smith
Photo Michael Grealy
Jack Dale-~-‘Wandjina’
2007
‘Jilamarini Tirrintirri’ (Burdekin Ducks) – Janice Murray
90-x-60cm — Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery
‘Japara the Crab Eater’ – Ainslie Roberts
Jennifer Mullett – Iinterior Landscape-II
2003
Outback Camel Races
Charlie Tjapangati
Kwementyay Kngwarreye’s ‘Big yam Dreaming’
Indigenous abstract ‘Now Time Portal-2′ – Arone Meeks
Libby McKinnon & Glenn Romanis mosaic — ‘Echinda-Footprint’
Colac Community
Lin Onus- —‘Garkman Na Minguli’
1995
Lin Onus – ‘Dawn at Barmah Forest’
1996
Lin Onus – ‘Evening Reflections Barmah Forest’
Lin Onus — ‘Fish and Lillies Dingo Spring’
Derek Jungarrayi Thompson, ‘Kungkarangkalpa-II’
2015, Stoneware,-H-52.5cm
Ernabella Ceramics
‘Lyerrtjina’ (budgerigar) – Judith Pungkarta Inkamala
2016 Hermannsburg Pottery
‘Manharrngu mortuary rites’ — David Malangi
1966
Martin Boyd, vintage vase
Nyunmiti Burton -–- ‘Ngayuku ngura-–-My Country’
Margaret Preston ‘Sholhaven Gorge’
Penny Evans–Gorrogarah Binjdil overcast Tea tree Creek dish
Aboriginal art on bark – Narritjin Maymuru– ‘Marrngu the Possum’
1969, NGV
Moon Vase-Kangaroo Journey painted by Koruna (Suzi Gaughan)
Nat Ward – ‘Nailcan Hill’
Manyung Gallery Group
‘Nyapililngu, ancestral spirit woman of the Manggalili’ — Narritjin Maymuru
NGV
‘Pachatata Dreamtime Sisters’ — Colleen Wallace Nungari
Paddy Freddy Puruntatameri — ‘Jilamara’
1992
Paul Roget
Johnny Warungula Tjupurrula
Johnny Warungula Tjupurrula was one of the founding members of the Western desert Aboriginal art movement. He was an extremely innovative artist who depicted traditional ceremonial ground designs as abstract depictions on canvass and board.
‘The Death of the Moon Woman’ –— Ainslie Rroberts
Peter Coad – White Swan
Peter Coad – ‘Southern Boobook Study’
‘Big Wet’ – Arone Meeks
‘Purrukuparli ngirramini’ – Harold Porkilari
1992–Melville Island,-Northern Territory
Renita Stanley—‘Malilanya’
Outstation Gallery
APY Lands artists
Robyn Latham ceramic pod vessels.
Forged with the elements, earth, fire, water, air and space, the patina of the works is created from a terra sigillata slip and then saggar fired in she-oak leaves. Importantly, the She-oak tree is sacred to Yamatji women.
Shepparton Art Museum
Robin Kankaankatja
SAM Ceramic Art Awards – Robert Kelty
Shellie Christian – ‘Bird Totem’
Shirley Purdie
Stephen Bowers
Tarisse King—‘The Land’
Tjimpuna Williams, Tali—Sand Dunes
2015,-Stoneware, H-47cn
Ernabella Ceramics
‘Thrive’ – Yellena Jame
Turbo Japingka—‘Black Cockatoos’
Tjunkaya Tapaya
‘Dreamtime’ glass vases by Chris Pantano
Tiddalic Fountain Mural – Glenn Romanis
Thornbury, Melbourne
Vicki Cullinan – ‘Lines’
APY lands
Arthur Boyd – Aboriginal Hunting Scene plate
Vintage kangaroo sgraffito vase
‘Wandjina’ — Alec Mingelmangan
1980
Pepai Jangala Carroll ceramic glazed sgrafitto vase
Height 30cm
‘Yinipunga, the sacred totemic turtle’ — Narritjin Maymuru
Natural pigment painting on bark
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Ryuhei Sako – ‘Chaki’ (Tea Caddy)
