ANNA PETYARRE

GROUP: EASTERN ANMATJERRE

AREA: MULGA BORE, UTOPIA EASTERN DESERT

Anna's dreaming is the Bush Yam. She also paints body painting and women's ceremony.

She resides at Mulga Bore Utopia NT approximately 220 km from Alice Springs. This is the place where she currently paints.

Anna has painted on and off since early childhood. She earnestly began painting in the year 1996 She speaks Anmatjere and is fluent in English.

Anna essentially paints the Bush Yam. This is the dreaming of her grandfather and father's country. She also paints some body painting and women's ceremony as well.

She paints on a whole range of canvas sizes and also paints on to ancient Aboriginal utensils such as the wira and coolamon. These utensils are used for carrying water, fruit, berries and even babies through the bush. Anna has other dreamings as well but she does not paint them. Under the careful guidance of Gloria Petyarre, Anna began to paint her own work. Over the last few years, Anna has been learning further skills from the Women painters in Utopia.

Anna actively takes part in ceremonies and paints the bodies of the dancers prior to the commencement of each ceremony. She takes the utmost care and pride in her work and endeavours to bring the sensitivity of her culture to canvas.

Anna Petyarre has been painting for the Michael Hollow Aboriginal Desert Art Gallery - Alice Springs - Melbourne - Sydney since 1997.

WOMEN'S DREAMING
( CEREMONY )

Aboriginal paintings are based on myths of the Dreamtime. In modern dot representation, the sacred aspect of the painting is not always revealed, but the meaning remains, transmitted through symbols which are easily understood.

Each person has particular Dreaming to which they belong and they have special ceremonial dances and songs that combine together to form a unique religion that makes up the lives of the Aboriginal people. All things related to the land and thus the land is of great importance to them. The land is the keeper of the Dreaming and must be kept safe for all time so that the Dreaming stories, which are told in the paintings, can be preserved.

While many ceremonies are open or public, many are secret to varying degrees. The categories of people who can be present are restricted; groups such as women, girls and uninitiated men and strangers would all have limitations placed on them in relation to men’s ceremonies; men, boys and uninitiated girls would have similar restrictions placed on them in relation to women's ceremonies.

This painting tells of women's business, an initiation ceremony for women. The women may be past initiates, or young women awaiting instruction from older women. Initiates are taught their roles as nurturers of the land and keepers of the law by which life's rules and regulations are set. This particular ceremonial site is near Utopia. Ceremonies always involve song, dance and body decoration, The ownership, management and performance is dependent upon knowledge and status.

Bodypainting carries deep spiritual significance for the Aboriginal people. They recognize the creative nature of this activity, which uses the human body itself as a living canvas for artistic expression. The use of particular designs and motifs denotes social position and the relationship of the individuals to their family group and to particular ancestors, totemic animals and tracts of land. In many situations individuals are completely transformed so they 'become' the spirit ancestor they are portraying in the dance.

Patterns must conform to the ceremony being performed, and the women are not at liberty to adorn themselves with designs of free will. Elaborate ground constructions (sand paintings) are also made. Usually during ceremonies, their bodypainting depicts similar linear designs as those illustrated in the ground paintings.

The women are sitting at a ceremonial site, painting their bodies with markings in preparation for the ceremony. Ochres and Spinifex ashes are mixed with Kangaroo or Emu fat to make the body paint. Bodypainting ranges from simply smearing clay across the face, to intrinsic full body patterning. The half circular, shell like shapes depict the women, fully prepared and painted performing the ceremony.