Viewing Room
Doris Bush, Painting on Country - Karrinyarra Bush Trip, 2017.
Charlotte Phillipus Napurrula
Doris Bush Nungarrayi
Emily Andy Napaltjarri
Isobel Major Nampitjinpa
Maureen Poulson Napangarti
Sharon Butcher Napanangka
Pam Brown Napanangka
Kumantjayi Nangala (Tilau)
Isobel Gorey Nampitjinpa
This body of work was created by Papunya Tjupi’s leading women artists during a painting trip at Karrinyarra, Country north of Papunya, which features an expansive pantu muluwurru (salt lake), a special site of significance for yalka Tjukurrpa (bush onion Dreaming). This exhibition is presented by Papunya Tjupi, with support from Manly Art Gallery & Museum. The following exhibition text is by artist Isobel Major Nampitjinpa.
Piintingi ngatjuta mantjira kaputura tjungunu warumpinya ngurrara minyma artist tjutangku. Tjana ngurra Karrinyarra lakutu ankula piinta palyanu. Warumpila alintjarra Karrinyarrala. Tjukurrpa muluwurru pantungka, yalka Tjukurrpangka. Exhibition ngatja Warumpi Tjupi Art tjintalu nintini, Manly Art Gallery and Museumangku tjungungku halpamilani warrka tjunkunytjaku anangu tjutakunu. Warrka ngatja tjanampa tjunu Isobel Major Nampitjinpalu.
In 2017 we went on a bush trip to Karrinyarra. All the old and middle aged ladies went together on a Country visit, to visit and sit down at Karrinyarra for a camp out.
The first place we visited was a water source. Like a small lake or spring. It was Women’s Country. When we got there we saw that there was still water coming up from below. We used crowbars to clean the water. Kumantjayi Nangala used her hands to make the water flow and clean it out. Then we went back to the camp.
Nganana anu layik 2017-angka bush trip Karrinyarra lakutu. Ulkumanu tjuta and nganananya, layik middle aged. Nganana anu visiting… country visit. Karrinyarra lakutu. Nganana anu, nganana nyinangu three days Karrinyarrala campout ngarrinyi.
Nganana anu first nyaa nyakunytjaku lake layik spring ngaranyi palatja kungka tjutaku nguntji anu nyakunytjaku. Layikiwan nganana anu karnu nyangu kapi still ngarrinyi taanpa kapi paluru. Nganana kurupatjarra wakanu kliinanu. Kapi paluru tjutingulpi. Then nganana anu rayitpak ngurrakutu kampakutu. Panya anu ngurrakutu.
Once we sat down, it was straight into painting. All the while, sharing stories.
Anu nganana nyinangu palunytjanu ngananatju kanpatja palyantjaku tjartarringu. Storywana wangkangu yara watjalwatjanu.
The next day we visited a different spot. Isobel Gorey's Country ‘Wantupunyu’. We saw that beautiful Country.
We were all learning a lot about different countries belonging to different people. It was about looking, listening and learning. That’s why we went. To learn about the different Dreamings and dances belonging to different people. That’s right.
And next day nganana anu ngurra kutjupa nyaratja nyakunytjaku ngananya Isobel Gorey-ku ngurra ngananya Wantupunyu.
Ant nganana palumpa ngurra nyangu palya ling(ku), nintirringanyi nganana ngurra kutjupa tjanampa kutjupaku ngurra. Tjukurrpa yaltji yaltji anu, ankula nintirringanyi kulini nyawa alatji alatji kunyu Tjukurrpa panya ngaranyi, kutjupa tjutaku, kutjupa tjutaku.
Her (Kumantjayi) Dreaming is the water Dreaming. That dreaming at Karrinyarrya is bush onion which is the Dreaming of all the Napaltjarri’s. The other one, the water Dreaming, belongs to the Nampitjinpa’s, Nangala’s, Tjangala’s and Tjampitjimpa’s. It’s theirs. It was a Country visit to look, listen and learn while the others told the stories of their Dreamings that are there and how they came to be. Just like that, we went to sit down and learn. It was so good on that bush trip. Happy.
They were telling their Dreaming stories, especially that old lady, our auntie (Kumantjayi Nangala). We would sit at the camp for a time, then we would go to see another Country, to see the place or even go hunting for goanna. And every night she would be telling us stories, Dreaming stories. That’s how it was. Stories from their Dreamings.
Yuwa palumpa (Kumantjayi) nyaanya kapi Tjukurrpa ngananya, Karrinyarranya palatja yalka, Tjukurrpa tjanampa napaltjarri tjutaku, nyaratja Kapi Tjukurrpanya Nampitjinpa, Nangala, Tjangala, Tjampitjimpa, Tjanampa. Yuwa nganana anu nintirringtjaku just nyaa layik country visit anu ngurra nyakunytjaku ant nintirringtjaku tjanampa Tjukurrpa yara, tjanampa yaltjiyaltji ngaranyi, yuwa alatji ankula nintirri nyinanyi. Palya Lingku. Bush trip-ngka. Happy.
Tjukurrpa tjana watjani ant ulkuman paluru watjani nganampa aunty (Kumantjayi Nangala).
Yuwa and we were, nganana nyinangara kamp paluru nyinangu, palunytjanu ngananatju anulpi ngunytji ngurra kutjupa tjuta nyakinanya. Layik rumiyaku tarra nganana anunyin, round area palatja ngurra nganana nguntji. And like every night, paluru watjalpayi nguntji Tjukurrpa nyaa… yara, alatjialatji kunyu tjanampa Tjukurrpa...yuwa.
