ABORIGINAL DESERT ART  GALLERY

MARTIN RUBUNTJA

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

In this painting titled "Initiation" Martin shows us many of the elements that are relevant to the initiation rites that bring each aboriginal person to a state of adulthood. It represents the transition of growth, from a state of childhood to the responsibilities of a mature adult.

The Snake man is a representation of an initiate. These can be male or female. In this particular piece, Martin is portraying males 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.

The concentric circle shown in this painting, which signify particular parts of the ceremony, which relate to specific places. The place where this particular ceremony is held is called "Mt Stuart". The arcs signify windbreaks made from branches to protect the fire and ceremonial sites from wind. The dotting signifies full ceremonial body paint and the roundels also show body paint designs.

The concentric circles on the side of the painting depict preparation camps. In preparation for the ceremony spinifex grass is burnt which produces a pure white ash. The ashes are then mixed with kangaroo or emu fat and the colour is used for body painting.

The Honey Ant man is also depicted here. The Honey Ant is the ancestral totem of the area around Mt Stuart, and is an important totem as it comes from the ground and re enters again, just as all the ancestors did in the Dreamtime. Due to the sacred and secret nature of the dreaming no further details were given.