Kalipinypa (Bush tucker story) by Johnny Warangula Tjupurrula

Kalipinypa (Bush tucker story) 1972
synthetic polymer paint on compressed fibre board Purchased 1978, MAGNT Collection WAL 210

This painting is conceived in three parts. In arid central Australia many important rituals centre upon the
maintenance of annual rainfall and the replenishment of bush foods. This painting depicts the artist's country before and after a successful ceremony brings rain. In a sense the painting represents two topographic levels. Firstly, the ground level is denoted by dry creek beds (wavy pink lines)be fore they begin to flow again after the rains. Secondly, under the surface, the root structures of perennial plants (brown and black areas)are shown along with underground soaks (circles). Thirdly, also depicted are species of fungus, which grow under the witchetty bushes after the rains. These are depicted as striped circles. The plain circles are the fungi, which are still growing underground. (original description)

The notes attached to this impressive depiction of the artist's ancestral home were prepared by Pat Hogan, who sold this and other paintings from her personal collection to MAGNT in 1978. The original description provides an interesting insight into Hogan's observations of Warangula's practice.

Johnny Warangula TJUPURRULA
b.Mintjilpirri, Northern Territory, c.1925;d.2001
Pintupi/Luritja language