ALICE SPRINGS - MELBOURNE - SYDNEY
87 TODD MALL ALICE SPRINGS 0870 AUSTRALIA
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express permission of Aboriginal Desert Art Gallery Pty Ltd.
DENNIS TJAKAMARRA WARRANGULA
AREA: PAPUNYA, WESTERN DESERT
Dennis Tjakamarra Warrangula was born near Papunya and spent his early childhood in the desert neighbouring the settlement.
He speaks of and recounts the early painters from former days. "We been sitting down and watching, they tell us dreamtime stories and show us how to paint and sometime we help," he recalls. Dennis remembers all the early painters. Many of these artists have now passed away, and in line with tradition, their names are not to be mentioned. Dennis is a traditional Aboriginal man and as such is responsible to his family group in certain facets of ceremonies.
He has painted from his very earliest recollections using various mediums and materials. Dennis learnt his skills from his father, Johnny Warrangula Tjupurrula. Along with his father, Dennis was always in the presence of a number of very notable artists of the Papunya painting movement.
One definitive highlight and specialty of his present work rests in his ability to bring to life the visual nature and perspective associated with his culture. This interaction is seen and felt through the rigorous high quality standard of work he sets for himself. The end result to this mastery is a transmutation of visual feeling onto the canvas making the work almost reverberate of itself.
Dennis participates in a number of dreamings. The main ones for him are the Kalipimpa (old men) dreaming and the Tjikari dreaming.
Besides his painting, Dennis is kept very busy with his numerous other tasks as a traditional man. He must attend and travel to various tribal and inter-tribal meetings to participate in many aspects of custom, culture and ceremony for which he is bound.
Dennis has been painting for the Aboriginal Desert Art Gallery, Alice Springs – Sydney – Melbourne since 1994.
Aboriginal Paintngs are based on the 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 their own Dreaming to which they belong , and they have special ceremonial dances and songs that combine to form the unique religion that makes up the lives of the Aboriginal People. All things are related to the land , thus the land is of great importance to them . The land is the keeper of the Dreaming stories , which are told in the Paintings and are therefore preserved.
"Man's Ceremony"
Here Dennis shares with us the story of man's story at Kalipimpa.
at way my grandfathers country. Tjupurrula and Tjakamarra, (father and son) are travelling to meet up with grandfather.
''They come from that way y'know''
''They Wati man they meet up cos this one man's business - this Wati one''
The concentric circles depict secret and sacred sites near Kalipimpa where man's initiation ceremonies take place.
''Travellin, travellin - till they get there'' 'Then this one - this Wati one''
Dennis is portraying to us a mans initiation ceremony. A ''Wati'' is a full initiated man.
There may be several different stages in the initiation process, carried out over an extended period. It is often painful and frightening carried out dramatically and in secret, all of which helps to ensure that the youth is aware of the significance and responsibilities of the shift from boyhood to manhood.
Due to the secret and sacred aspects of this initiation, no further information may be obtained.