When we met Archie back in 2008 in the Todd Mall of Alice Springs, we unfortunately had trouble communicating with him. We learnt his name was Archie (as he could not read or write). With the help of others, Archie was able to tell us his language is Anmatjere, he was born at Napperby Station and his country is Ti Tree / Anmatjere region.
Archie had this beautiful painting that depicts bush coconuts. This fruit is found on the Desert Bloodwood Tree (Corymbia opaca). The bloodwood is host to a female coccid insect (Cystococcus pomiformis) which parasitises the stems of the tree, creating a gall around itself, known as a ‘bush coconut’. This knobbly, woody gall ranges in size from a golf ball to a tennis ball. The Desert Bloodwood is confined to the desert regions of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. Along with the grub contained within, the bush coconut has been a source of food and water for the desert Aboriginal people.1
Painting size: 41 cm x 150 cm
Where I have the painting handing on our wall, it takes on a different tone, depending on the time of day (and when I take photos on my mobile 🙂).
Trephina Sultan ThanguwaTrephina Sultan Gallery Bush Food (2006) Bush Honey (Honey Grevillea) Bush Tobacco Country Desert Oak Bush Honey Dialysis Machine Art Symbolism Families Hunting and Gathering Bush Tucker Fire, Rain, Life Following the creeks and waterholes Goanna calling for rain Grandmothers Way Grass Seeds Healing Kamiku Ara Kapi (Rain) Kapi-Nguru Kulu Messy Art Minga Ntatha Flowers (My Desert Home in Spring) Rainbow Serpent Regeneration (Renewed Life) Seven Sisters Spiritual Journey Tjanpi Kampanyi Walpangku Wangka Katipai (Voices in the Wind) Water Symbol on Cave Wall Triptych: Fire, Rain, Life
Aboriginal ArtistsArchie Adrian Jangala Robertson Daniel Goodwin Dorothy Napangardi Elsie Numina Eric Braedon Mbitjana Evelyn Nungarrayi Jugadai Janet Tjitayi Keith Morgan Pitjara Kukula McDonald Nellie Marks Nakamarra Raymond Walters Japanangka Selma Coulthard Trephina Sultan Thanguwa
