Click to enlargeb. c.1950/ c.1952
- Region
- Arnhem Land
- Community
- Maningrida
- Language group
- Gun-nartpa
Goannas at Waterhole, 2000
natural earth pigments on paper
56x 76 cms
$2,200
- Provenance
- Maningrida Arts & Culture, Maningrida, NT
- Artwork story
- Terry Ngamandara was born in a bush camp outside of Darwin. Shortly after his birth his family returned to their clan country near the Cadell River in Western Arnhem Land, close to the large swamp, Barlparnarra. Here, Terry Ngamandara became immersed in the religion and culture of his own people, the Girnimba and Garramirra, and was fully trained under traditional men’s law in the designs for totems. Barlparnarra is a complex of important sacred sites for the Jowanga moiety group through Central Arnhem Land. It is associated with the creation myth of the two sisters commonly known as Djangkawu, however, in the Barlparnarra version they are called Murlurlu. Many Dreaming tracks of mythological beings associated with the two sisters converge at this site, and, ceremonies which celebrate their journeys are still held there. Terry is senior custodian of these clans. Before taking up bark painting, Ngamandara spent time in the nearby Aboriginal community of Maningrida, where he did construction and forestry work as well as laboring in fishing enterprises. This technical training assisted him when he later turned to art under the tutelage of the senior artist England Bangala. In the art of Central Arnhem Land new conventions are constantly evolving. This is borne out by Ngamandarra’s work as he creates landscapes of singular purity of form, using strong black lines. His subjects and themes include Spike rushes (gulach), goanna (gachalan), gudgeon fish (marlan), salmon catfish (jinaminyjingana), King brown snake.