Mandy Martin | The Arnhembrand Project
mould of my work with the Walmajarri people in Desert Lake. It began as a simple drawing workshop on an investigative trip in February 2015
‘I need plak,’ John Mawurndjul says, gesturing with his chin at the Arnhembrand art supplies. I take a second beat because although he has been dropping in most days to watch Hamish Gurrgurrku’s canvases evolve, this is the first time he has indicated he wants materials. Hamish’s wife, Jennifer Wurrkidj, having finished her own canvases the day before, is now working further long hours, to help Hamish put the finishing touches to his big, ‘Yabbie Dreaming’ painting. They are surrounded by various family members who are all chatting away about the growing number of large crocodiles this season and the big buffalo they had
and evolved, with the approval and support of the Djelk Rangers, into an art and environment initiative aimed to promote the cultural and land management work conducted in the Djelk Indigenous Protected Area. As a short term, independent project we have worked with a cross section of nearly 80 Bininj participants of all ages and skill levels. There are musicians, performers and respected visual artists living in these communities, like John Mawurndjul AM, whose high profile exhibitions in Australia and around the world have placed him and others in the limelight. The primary aim of the Arnhembrand project is to raise aware-
cooked up for dinner last night.
ness, both nationally and internationally, of the work that the Indigenous
Hamish and Jennifer make a collective decision to paint the edges of
cultural and ecological environments.
the linen turquoise blue, the same colour Jennifer used for the fine line, added as a finishing flourish to her ‘Old Time Bush Tucker in Rock Country’ painting, the day before. The blue denotes water but also sets up a lively visual zing with the rich red and yellow ochres, black and fluoro pigments that they have both used. I have mixed all the non-earth pigments with acrylic binder medium and water, then carefully mixed the fluorescent pigments the same way, adding cadmiums and cobalts to
communities living in the Djelk IPA undertake to preserve their unique
With the introduction of new technologies and methods of communication there is potential to reach out in new and exciting ways that communicate what is a very positive story about Bininj land management and interrelated cultural life. The younger community members adopt new electronic technology (mobile phones, computers etc.) very readily and older people are excited by the possibility of telling their stories
enhance their permanence.
in new and interesting ways. The Arnhembrand project helps these
I avoid giving any of these fluoros to John, instead carefully packing a
of their culture and landscape and the exciting work they are engaged
box of traditional ochres, collected and given to me over the years by archaeologists, anthropologists and friends. John is taken by the deep purple oxide from the Pilbara, which a boiler maker had ground up and carted south for me in a few Cottee’s Cordial bottles, some years ago. I explain to John that none of them are sacred ochres. I would hate to transgress any cultural rules, my colours are in fact, like most ochres,
remote communities to communicate to a wider audience the values in to preserve a way of life that has lessons for all of us in Australia and around the world. The traditional owners of western Arnhem Land live in a very remote part of Australia and in country not easily accessible. For almost half the year they are cut off by flooded rivers swollen by the summer mon-
decomposing haematites in a clay base.
soon. The country has environmental values that are similar to Kakadu
Background
40,000 or more years old, and the traditional culture remains strong.
Arnhembrand originated from an invitation from within the community in 2013 to generate a multidisciplined and participatory project in the
National Park to the west, rock shelters display rock art that could be Many younger people in the community are caught between two worlds – that of white and black – and struggle to recognise and integrate the