003
Judy Napangardi
Watson
Warlpiri (born 1925)
Mina Mina Jukurrpa (Women’s Dreaming), 2004
synthetic polymer paint on linen
152 x 61cm; framed
PROVENANCE
Warlukurlangu Artists, NT; accompanied by original certificate of authenticity,
cat.no.847/04
Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, cat.no. AK11636
Private Collection, New York
Documentation reads
The country of this Dreaming is Mina Mina, west of Yuendemu and significant
to Napangardi and Napanangka women who are the custodians of the Dreaming
that created the area. The Dreaming described the journey of a group of
women, of all ages who travelled east gathering food and collecting "ngalyipi"
(Tinospora smilacina or snake vine). The vine served several purposes.
It could be used as a strap to carry parraja (food containers), as a tourniquet
or as ceremonial rope when making witi poles. As the women travelled they
performed ceremonies. The women began their journey at Mina Mina in the
far west where digging sticks emerged from the ground. Taking these implements
the women travelled east creating Janyinki and other places. Their journey
took them eventually beyond Warlpiri country. In the painting wavy lines
represent Ngalyipi and the circles represent jintiparnta, a variety of
white edible fungus, also known as native truffle found after rain. The
growing fungus forces the earth above it to crack exposing it. Women collect
the jintiparnta, squeeze out the juice, then eat it after cooking. The
concentric circles represent trees around which ngalyipi grows. "U"
shapes are women.