Yari country
1989
- Medium
- earth pigments and natural binder on canvas
- Measurements
- 160.0 × 200.2 cm
- Place/s of Execution
- Warmun, Western Australia
- Accession Number
- O.7-1990
- Department
- First Nations Australia
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased through The Art Foundation of Victoria with the assistance of Pacific Dunlop Limited, Fellow, 1990
© Rover Thomas/Copyright Agency, Australia
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Vizard Foundation - Gallery location
- Not on display
- About this work
-
An old spirit man was dying in wala (desert) Country ravaged by drought, shown by the red-ochre section. This wala (desert) section is bordered on two sides by white expanses representing yari (milky water billabongs) where the old man bent to drink to excess. Then, finding that the water was poisonous, he retreated to light a fire, shown in blackened rectangle that represents junpa (charcoal fire). The fire raged out of control and the old man, unable to escape from the force of the flames, was burnt to death. At this place, the old man’s spirit entered and became the land.