Angus Tjungurrayi
2024
acrylic on linen
91 x 46 cm
AT2405024
This painting depicts designs associated with a swamp site south of Marawa, slightly west of Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay). During ancestral times a large group of Tingari men travelled to Marawa...
This painting depicts designs associated with a swamp site south of Marawa, slightly west of Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay). During ancestral times a large group of Tingari men travelled to Marawa from the west, and after arriving at the site, passed beneath the earth's surface and continued travelling underground. It is also said that a huge ancestral snake sleeps in this swamp. Since events associated with the Tingari Cycle are of a secret nature no further detail was given. Generally, the Tingari are a group of ancestral beings of the Dreaming who travelled over vast stretches of the country, performing rituals and creating and shaping particular sites. The Tingari men were usually followed by Tingari women and were accompanied by novices, and their travels and adventures are enshrined in a number of song cycles. These ancestral stories form part of the teachings of the post initiatory youths today as well as providing explanations for contemporary customs.