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Tjuntjuntjara: Recent works from Spinifex Country

Past exhibition
12 June - 6 July 2014
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Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: Women's Collaborative, Minyma Tjuta

Women's Collaborative

Minyma Tjuta
acrylic on linen
233 x 197 cm
826591
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Eight senior Spinifex women; Anne Hogan, Estelle Hogan, Tjaruwa Woods, Myrtle Pennington, Kathleen Donnegan, Yarangka Thomas, Ngalpingka Simms and Debbie Hansen have collaborated on this major work, an epic story...
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Eight senior Spinifex women; Anne Hogan, Estelle Hogan, Tjaruwa Woods, Myrtle Pennington, Kathleen Donnegan, Yarangka Thomas, Ngalpingka Simms and Debbie Hansen have collaborated on this major work, an epic story which covers a vast tract of Spinifex Lands. It is the Tjukurpa of Kungkarangkalpa, the Seven Sisters also referred to as Minyma Tjuta.
Minyma Tjuta is perhaps the most substantial and overtly women's Tjukurpa from the Spinifex area that weaves across and through much of the country, profoundly affecting the sites, ceremonial connections and responsibilities of the people. The song line travels out west and east far beyond the Spinifex territory into neighboring lands. As such, Minyma Tjuta is intimate to the cultural cycles of the broader Western Desert region and features prominently in many Spinifex paintings as it traverses far across and through the country. This is 'miil-miilpa' sacred and has numerous layers of knowledge and comprehension available depending on the status of the viewer according to Anangu Law.
In this Tjukurpa a group of sisters are travelling and trying to avoid the unwanted attention of a lustful old man, Wati Nyiiru who is persuing them. He camps close to the sisters hiding and spying on them in order to strike out in surprise and catch the one he wants. The sisters take off to the east. They fly up into the sky thus creating the constellation known as Pleiades.
This story is full of sexual innuendo pertinent to women and men in different aspects. It is present at literally hundreds of Spinifex sites. The women listed some of such sites in this work including Kuru Ala, Tuwan, Kunyakunytju, Wiyara, Kamanti, Tjun Tjun , Paltatatjara, Ngalkuritjara, Minga, Kulyuru and Cundalee.
The circular motifs in the work signify the rock holes created by the women (spirit beings) as they travelled through the country. They also represent the body designs painted the young women after a woman first menstrates in a ritual where a woman emerges through the smoke marking the transition from girl hood to woman hood. All these senior women experienced this.
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