Yarri Waterholes
Hughie (Munangu) BENT: artist
This print depicts two main waterholes in the Great Sandy Desert
In a good wet season they fill up and then overflow and join up. When
the dry season comes the waterholes dry up leaving a sandbank in between
Grinding stones are left around the banks of the main waterhole.
The Dreaming story associated with the waterholes refers to a time
when a big mob of people were camped there. They had collected
seeds called Gud-du-bul, which they weren't supposed to eat. They
ground the seeds and mixed this with water in their coolamuns to make
a paste which they threw on the fire to cook. This upset the spirit beings.
The sky became overcast and rocks started falling down on the people,
killing them as punishment. One woman escaped covering her head
with a coolamun. She is represented by a big rock near the waterholes.
MR 21/09/2018
In a good wet season they fill up and then overflow and join up. When
the dry season comes the waterholes dry up leaving a sandbank in between
Grinding stones are left around the banks of the main waterhole.
The Dreaming story associated with the waterholes refers to a time
when a big mob of people were camped there. They had collected
seeds called Gud-du-bul, which they weren't supposed to eat. They
ground the seeds and mixed this with water in their coolamuns to make
a paste which they threw on the fire to cook. This upset the spirit beings.
The sky became overcast and rocks started falling down on the people,
killing them as punishment. One woman escaped covering her head
with a coolamun. She is represented by a big rock near the waterholes.
MR 21/09/2018
Title
Yarri Waterholes
Artist/Maker and role
Hughie (Munangu) BENT: artist
Date
1995
Medium
Screen-print on archival paper
Measurements
40 x 50 cm
Production place
Warmun, Western Australia
Credit line
Gift of Brigitte Braun Gallery, 2008
© Hughie ( Munangu) Bent, 1995
The State Art Collection, The Art Gallery of Western Australia
Accession number
2008/0103