AM 12227/16

The Tingari were a group of ancestral beings that emerged from the earth and conducted activities that led to the formation of the landscape and its inhabitants. The content of these ancient stories remains the exclusive knowledge of the initiated men. The painting depicts “tali tjuta”- many sandhills and ‘kapi’ or clay pans of the Maruwa area West of Lake McKay and Kalparti which lies further south. In a minimal linear style, the artist has depicted a particular site known as Minatapinya, a large swamp south of Maruwa which is where Tingari men camped as they travelled east towards Wilkinkarra (Lake McKay) in Western Australia. The area is known for the Water Snake that travelled through this way in the creation time, the snake entered the water and now lives under ground. According to the artist, the wavy lines mark the watery areas that are found around and including Wilkinkarra (Lake MacKay).