Art from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunyjatjara (APY) Lands
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Art from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunyjatjara (APY) Lands Nganampa Kililpil: Our Stars is the first major survey exhibition from the artists ALICE SPRINGS of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunyjatjara (APY) Lands of central Australia. Bringing together more than 100 artists from ULURU across the Lands, the exhibition is an APY important opportunity for the region to speak NYAPARI as a whole and to share unique cultural and PUKATJA artistic traditions. The richly coloured, dynamic KALKA AMATA and powerful works articulate the central FREGON MIMILIMIMILI themes of Tjukurpa (Law), Ngura (Country), and Inma (ceremony), telling of Anangu creation INDULKANA stories, the landscape and its important sites. Featuring more than 70 works from public and private collections across the country, Nganampa Kililpil: Our Stars became the catalyst for four artists who have passed away, and major collaborative works that, for the first time, acknowledge their contribution to art and sees artists from across the APY Lands working culture in the APY Lands. together on large scale single works. At the heart of the works is the coming The APY Lands is a vast area together of the artists as a family and sharing located in remote South of knowledge and culture from one generation Australia, near the tri-state to the next as senior artists worked alongside border with the Northern Territory younger and emerging artists, teaching them and Western Australia, covering the stories and associated imagery. over 103,000 square kilometers, The dynamic and vibrant women’s painting or just over 10% of the state. which was created by 24 artists focuses on the Seven Sisters Dreaming. The accompanying The area is home to around 3000 people of installation, Punu Kutjara (Two Trees) which Aboriginal descent. There are seven main was created by 38 weavers and malpas communities on the Lands and seventeen (helpers) reflects the vast and abundant homelands. The APY Lands were returned to 2 country with the trees being the spirit of life that the traditional owners in 1981. are surrounded by animals and bush tucker. There are seven art centres located place for sharing and passing down of culture The men’s collaborative works that were throughout the APY Lands. Starting from the and knowledge from one generation to the produced by 21 artists include a collaborative east, they include Iwantja Arts at Indulkana, next, support of cultural practices, the ethical painting and installation of kulata (spears) and Mimili Maku Arts at Mimili, Kaltjiti Arts at production and sale of the artists’ works, and kulata miru (spear throwers). These powerful Fregon, Ernabella Arts at Pukatja, Tjala Arts at a platform for artists to be positioned within and poignant works are a tribute to senior Amata, Tjungu Palya at Nyapari, and Ninuku the Australian and international art movements. Arts at Kalka. artist Kunmanara (Gordon Ingkatji) who Notes: Anangu is the Pitjantjatjara word for an Aboriginal passed away in the weeks before the painting person. Pitjantjatjara and Yankunyjatjara are Western The art centres are 100% Anangu owned and Desert language groups. began. They acknowledge the senior male operated. They provide a community hub, a When an Anangu person dies, their first name is not used for a certain period of time in respect to the family in mourning, and is replaced with the word Kunmanara. Pronunciations: Nganampa: Nan-um-pa; Kililpil: Kill-ill-pill; Anangu: Arn-ang-oo; Pitjantjatjara: Pigeon-jarrah; Yankunyjatjara: Young-kun-jarrah; Ngaanyatjarra: Naanat-jarrah; Tjanpi: Jumpy Nganana unngu kututungka tjukurpa tjuta kanyini munula palulanguru kunpu ngarany. Nyangatja nganampa titji malatjaku ngaranyi tjana kulu kunpugku kanyintjaku nganana purunytju. In this canvas is our story. We have these stories in our heart and inside us. This makes us strong. This is for the next generation, so they can strongly hold the stories like we do. Artist Nyurpaya Kaika Burton, from Tjala Arts speaking about the significance of the women’s collaborative 1 canvas painted in Kaltjiti in 2016. For many Aboriginal people Community, and a history of craftmaking at mother’s and father’s country), ancestral Amata since the 1970s led to the formation stories, various themes associated with living in the desert, history of an art centre in 1999. In more recent years, native wildlife, and more. Art is an important and the basic laws for human new art centres have been established in the focus for younger generations to learn these existence are largely written in homelands to enable artists to work in their traditions and laws, and for the sharing and the land. own country. These include Ninuku Arts at transfer of knowledge. Kalka in 2004, Mimili Maku Arts at Mimili in This history and extensive Artists from the APY Lands express these 2005 and Tjungu Palya at Nyapari in 2006. shared and multifaceted themes in highly knowledge of Country and its nuances is passed on from generation to generation as Tjukurpa, the Pitjantjatjara word for the overarching laws and stories. The significant art movement that evolved in the APY Lands is embedded within a wider movement of desert art and Indigenous art across Australia. The origins of the APY art movement have their beginnings at Pukatja (Ernabella), where the first art centre in the APY Lands was established in 1948, making it the oldest continuously running Indigenous art centre in Australia. Initally, Pitjantjatjara artists became renowned for their craft skills, producing works which focused on traditional wood carving (tools 3 4 and punu), batik and other textiles, then later printmaking and painting. Artists and individual styles, incorporating techniques craftspeople from the APY Lands have Many of the artists from the APY that go far beyond the well-known dotting or participated in national exhibitions as early as Lands are senior members of their stippling methods. Their works are dynamic the 1970s, and extensively in Australia and communities – important law men and vibrant, non-figurative and figurative, internationally since the late 1990s. Ceramics and women who are custodians mostly celebratory, and are often made in the were introduced at Ernabella in the late to the many stories and songlines spirit of sharing and learning. 1990s. Many of these early works are found in museums and galleries throughout Australia that traverse the desert regions Senior lawmen such as Jimmy Baker, Dickie and internationally. and their ancestral homelands. Minyintiri, Hector Burton, Taylor Cooper and Witjiti George along with senior women The establishment of art centres at other As an Anangu person gains age, knowledge artists Wawiriya Burton, Imitjala Curley, communities on the Lands continued in the and responsibility, they gain authority to Tjungkara Ken and Betty Pumani combine 1970s. Kaltjiti Arts was established in the paint increasingly complex and meaningful concentric circles and track lines with signs mid–1970s at Fregon, artists began working interpretations of subjects including their and symbols to produce conceptual maps at Iwantja Arts in the early 1980s at Indulkana country and surrounding sites (including their of the landscape. Other artists such as Harry Tjutjuna, Angkaliya Curtis, Nura Rupert, Kathleen Tjapalyi and Niningka Lewis include figurative elements such as bushfoods, animals and people in their works. Artists from across the APY Lands have shared creation stories. One of the most significant is Kungkarangkalpa or Minyma Tjuta Tjukurpa (Seven Sisters Story). This narrative is told, sung, painted and danced across country, particularly as part of women’s ceremony. While the songline travels from Port Melbourne in the east to Broome in the west, the women are privy to parts of the story relevant to their own country. The narrative tells how Wati Nyiru (a lusty man), is in pursuit of the seven sisters. As Nyiru chases the sisters he attempts to catch them by using all sorts of tricks, such as turning himself into bushfoods. However, the sisters are knowledgeable of his magic and go hungry and run through the night rather than 5 be caught, forming parts of the landscape as they travel. Eventually the sisters fly into the sky to escape Nyiru where they turn into stars and form the Pleiades star constellation. Land and surrounds of Piltati, west of Amata, hold the sites of the Wanampi Tjukurpa (Water Snake Creation Story). This is a story outlining the conflict between Wati Kutjara (two brothers) and Minyma Kutjara (their wives), and the creation of an important water source in the area. In their efforts to thwart the mischievous action of their husbands, who had transformed into Wanampi, or giant water snakes, the women dug a 25km trench between Piltati and Aparatjara, forming the gorge at Piltati. Ngintaka Tjukurpa (Perentie Man Creation Story) is the creation story and law of the ancestral Wati Ngintaka (Perentie Lizard Man). Traversing the APY Lands as a songline, it follows the tracks of Wati Ngintaka as he listens and searches to find his stolen tjiwa (grinding stone) and return it to his traditional country. 6 A narrative specific to women’s ceremony is Minyma Kutjara Tkukurpa (Two Sisters Story). This tells about sisters Ngura (Country) is also an important significant sites. Nganampa Kililipil: Our Stars travelling back to birth country and possibility theme for many artists who hold intricate brings the artists of the APY Lands together, of tracing the desert landmarks (near Irrunytju) knowledge of the APY Lands’ unique and enabling them to share their culturally and created by their journey. diverse landscape. Majestic rocky mountain visually powerful works. ranges, sandhills and flat plains are interspersed with granite boulders, waterholes and dirt tracks, with Eucalypts and spinifex grass dotted IMAGES COVER: Nyukana Norris with Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunyjatjara Lands women’s collaborative Kungkarangkalpa throughout. In Spring after the rains, the area is – Seven Sisters, 2016, acrylic on linen, 300 x 480 cm.