Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In the 1980s acclaimed Papunya Tula artists were invited to submit works for the new
Parliament House in Canberra. Michael Nelson Jagamarra's
Possum and Wallaby
Dreaming
is embedded in the mosaic forecourt:
www.papunyatula.com.au
Bark Painting
It is difficult to establish when bark was first used, partly because it is perishable, so the
oldest pieces in existence date from the late 19th century and none of the early works
were created in the format that we know today. The paintings were never intended to be
permanent records but were painted on the bark shelters in much the same way as the art
on rock galleries. Nonindigenous explorers travelling through the region in the early 19th
century observed the practice of painting the inside walls of bark shelters, and later in the
19th century and early in the 20th century the trade in examples of bark paintings
brought them to the notice of natural history/ethnographic museums around the world.
One of the main features of Arnhem Land bark paintings is the use of
rarrk
designs.
These designs identify particular clans, and are based on body paintings handed down
through generations. More recently, senior artists are recognised by their specific stylistic
signature, while retaining communal clan designs. The paintings can also be broadly cat-
egorised by their regional styles. In the region's west the tendency was towards natural-
istic and figurative images and plain backgrounds, although many renowned artists from
Western and Central Arnhem Land cover the entire surface of the bark or carving in in-
tricate line work to create a sense of power emanating from the imagery depicted. To the
east, the use of geometric, abstract designs is more common, with the artists of northeast
Arnhem Land renowned for their use of
kaolin
(white) in their ever-innovative paintings
and sculpture.
The art reflects themes from ancestral times that vary by region. In eastern and central
Arnhem Land the most prominent ancestral beings are the Djan'kawu Sisters, who trav-
elled the land with their elaborate dillybags (string carry bags) and digging sticks (for
making waterholes); and the Wagilag/Wawilak Sisters, who are associated with snakes
and waterholes and the creation of the clans of the regions. In western Arnhem Land, the
significant being (according to some clans) is Yingarna, the Rainbow Serpent, as is one
of her offspring, Ngalyod. Other groups paint Nawura as the principal ancestral being -
he travelled through the rocky landscape creating sacred sites and giving people the at-
tributes of culture. Another powerful ancestral being is Namarrkon, the Lightning Man,
associated with the monsoon season.
The Mimi spirits are another feature of western Arnhem Land art, on both bark and
rock. These mischievous spirits are attributed with having taught the indigenous people
of the region many things, including hunting, food-gathering and painting skills. More
