PAINTINGS: “MASKS OF GOD … “ SERIES

“THE DREAMING, NOONGAR PEOPLE”

The Australian Aborigines speak of jiva or guruwari, a seed power deposited in the earth. In the Aboriginal world view, every meaningful activity, event, or life process that occurs at a particular place leaves behind a vibrational residue in the earth, as plants leave an image of themselves as seeds. Everything in the natural world is a symbolic footprint of the metaphysical beings whose actions created our world.

This painting incorporates three interconnected storylines of The Dreaming of the Noongar (myungar) and their belief system (kundaam). Scientific Pre-History dating confirms that the Australian continent has been occupied by Aboriginal people for at least 50,000 years. In the south west of Western Australia tools have been unearthed from an archaeological deposit that are at least 35,000 years old, and Noongar remains that are between 20,000 and 50,000 years old.

One of the rare human images that has been found is one carved on stone of The Earth Mother which shows that she is eternally fertile. This image was the inspiration for the figure on the left of the painting. MCC has placed her on a background of earth. The Noongar believe that every person in an essential way exists eternally in The Dreaming. This eternal part existed before the life of the individual begins and continues to exist when the life of the individual ends. Both before and after life, it is believed that this spirit-child exists in The Dreaming and is only initiated into life by being born through a mother. The spirit of the child is culturally understood to enter the developing fetus during the fifth month of pregnancy.*

In this painting, the five months are symbolized as coming to the Earth Mother from a Dreaming world of seeds.

www.crystalinks.com/dreamtime.html *

The Waugal is the major spirit for Noongar people and central to their beliefs and customs. Waugal is a snake or rainbow serpent recognized by Noongar as the giver of life, maintaining all fresh water sources. It was the Waugal that made Noongar people custodians of the land. As the Rainbow Snake slithered over the land, its track shaped the sand dunes, its body scoured out the course of the rivers. It occasionally stopped for a rest and created bays and lakes.**

www.noongarculture.org.au/spirituality/**

A third Noongar portion of "The Dreaming "is represented by the Three Worlds. First, the Human World that contains among others: Rules of Behavior, Family Relationships, Capacity to adapt to change, and Ceremonies. Second, the Physical World that encompasses the Sky, Land and Animals. Third, the Sacred World. Herein are contained the Law, Stories, Healing – Seeing the Future, Increase care of country, and Punishment.***

(Three connected circles are also the symbol for waterholes and are often used with the Waugal , the rainbow serpent in depictions.)

www.crystalinks.com/dreamtime.htm***

The technique of "Dot Painting" has been adapted by MCC to strengthen the Noongar Dreaming images. It is an ancient technique that was often painted on pieces of bark using daubing sticks to place the natural organic paint dots. In some cases the dots are placed in a single layer that creates strong design patterns. Modern Noongar artists and MCC have chosen to place layer upon layer of color dots to create visual vibrations. This is a technique that is far from western "Pointilllism" where different color strokes of paint are laid on the canvas in a single layer.

For images of aboriginal dot paintings please Google: Noongar dot paintings.


“THE DREAMING, NOONGAR PEOPLE”

24"H x 20" W

Painted with acrylic paints.

Photo by SkyLark Images