ABORIGINAL DESERT ART  GALLERY

MARLENE LARRY YOUNG NUNGURRAYI

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

'TRAVELLING WOMEN'

MARLENE LARRY YOUNG NUNGURRAYI

WOMEN'S CEREMONY KINTORE

This painting depicts the journey path of " Kungka Kutjara ", two travelling women as they journey towards the site of Munni Munni (south east of Kintore).

The concentric circles on the sites of the painting represent ceremonial sites, waterholes and resting places where the women camped on their journey.

In the middle of the painting we see seven squares this indicates that the women traveld for seven days before reaching Munni Munni.