ABORIGINAL DESERT ART  GALLERY

FREDDIE JONES KNGWARREYE

Born c. 1935 at Old McDonald Downs station, Freddie is an Alyawarre speaker and second son of Jacob Jones and Dolly Kemarre. Dolly is an important person in women's business ('awelye') in the Irrweltye area.

Jacob Jones speaks for a large area of Alyawarre land. It was Freddie Jones who sanctions what can be shown and painted on canvas. Freddie's older brother Lenny is assuming the responsibility for this land as Jacob declines. As well, Freddie is assuming important ceremonial roles teaching his many nephews and the young men from Utopia the skills he learned from his father and the old wise man when he was a young man himself.

He is an articillate spokesman for his family and for the Utopia community. As well, he is known for his good humour. He has a particular ritual connection with David Pwerle Ross, such that certain drearnings must only be transcribed by them together, in acknowledgement of joint Eastern Anmatyerre and Alyawarre custodianship of the intersection of their heritage countries. Freddie paints Meat Ant, Pink Crested Cockatoo, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Earthworm, Caterpillar, Snake and Spider Dreaming's.

His work has been exhibited in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Freddie Jones lives at Theleye mile Soakage in Utopia and has been painting for Michael Hollow Aboriginal Desert Art Gallery since 1992.

Collections: National Gallery of Victoria, Artbank private collections in Australia, USA and Europe,The Micheal Hollow Collection.

MEN’S 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.

Ceremonies always involve song, dance and body decoration, The ownership, management and performance is dependent upon knowledge and status.

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

Ceremonies tend to be held in particular seasons, depending upon factors such as climate, food availability (to feed large gatherings), ability of people to travel and so on.

In this particular painting Freddie Jones shows us a big man's ceremony which involves family groups from surounding areas."They came from this way and that way. From really long way every one hears this is the caterpillar dreaming,"he says.