Ngamurangya, 1986

LONG JACK PHILLIPUS TJAKAMARRA
Ngamurangya, 1986
Acrylic on linen canvas
180 x 120 cm

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Artist Long Jack Phillipus Tjakamarra, title, Ngamurangya, 1986. Ngamurangya takes its title from a site in Australia’s Central Desert where this dreaming or creation story is located. Comments made by the artist include that other sites depicted in this painting are Koonjari and Namaru. The design components include possum footprints depicted by the small rectangular shapes on each side of the sinuous lines representing tail tracks running between secret sites shown as these concentric circles. There are also two men in this painting represented by the U shapes at the top and the bottom centre. The overall geometric shape of this painting is given by the five rows of five roundels. The background is composed of distinct parallel lines of red, white and yellow dots running in different directions. The effect is compelling for it gives the painting both depth and movement, with suggestions of sand dunes continually reshaped by the wind. This painting may be seen as a map, not topographical representations of the current landscape, but rather schematic summaries of the key sites, beings and events which created the landscape in the Dreamtime, and continue to give it meaning for the tribal descendants who still belong to that country.