Fire story at Caledon Bay
1962
- Artist/s name
- Munggurrawuy Yunupingu
Gumatj
- Medium
- earth pigments on bark
- Measurements
- 185.6 x 78.1 cm
- Place/s of Execution
- Yirrkala, Northern Territory
- Accession Number
- O.83-1989
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased through The Art Foundation of Victoria with the assistance of Jan and Bill Conn, Members, 1989
© Estate of Munggurrawuy Yunupingu - Gallery Location
- Gallery 1
Ground Level, NGV Australia
This work represents the wangarr (ancestral) fire, which occurred during an important Yirritja ceremony held at Ngalarrwuy in Gumatj country. This came about as fire ¬– brought to the Madarrpa clan country by Bäru, the ancestral crocodile – spread further to other sites. The fire spread rapidly, scorching the sacred objects and burning many of the participants. The fire is represented by the diamond design. Black signifies ashes; yellow, the glow of the fire; and dots the sparks.
