ABORIGINAL DESERT ART  GALLERY

JIMMY ROSS TJAMPITJINPA

Jimmy Ross was 'born in the bush' in the late 1940's out Yinmi way - south of Kiwirrkura, midway to Jupiter Well Western Australia, deep in Pintupi country.

He began painting at Balgo, painting regularly for Papunya Tula Artists. His paintings depict Tingarri stories of his country and Walla Walla a large waterhole outside of Kiwirrkura.

Jimmy Ross now lives at Kintore in the Pintupi homelands.

Jimmy has painted for the Aboriginal Desert Art Gallery (Michael Hollow) in Alice Springs since 1990.

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

This painting by Jimmy Ross Tjampitjinpa depicts the Tingarri Cycle story associated with the site near Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay) the border of Western Australia and the Northern Territory runs through Lake Mackay.

The Tingarri stories recount the creation-time travel of a particular, important group of elders who taught ritual knowledge to initiates.

This painting depicts designs associated with the secret-sacred Tingari ceremonies.

Generally, the Tingarri are a group of mythical characters of the Dreaming, who travelled over vast stretches of the country, performing rituals, creating and shaping particular sites.

The Tingarri men are usually followed by Tingarri women and accompanied by novices and their travel and adventures are enshrined in a number of song cycles.

These mythologies form part of the teaching of the post initiate youths as well as providing explanations for contemporary customs.

Due to the secret and sacred elements, no further information may be obtained.