Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) — by Shorty Jangala Robertson 2775/09
Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) by Shorty Jangala Robertson 2775/09
Acrylic on Canvas, 122 cm x 122 cm
Stretched $5900
Unstretched $5750
Representative of Shorty's works at the National Gallery of Victoria, his large piece demonstrates water flow lines between waterholes. His dotting creates an almost iridescent flow and flicker of water across country.
The site depicted in this painting is Puyurru, west of Yuendumu. In the usually dry creek beds are ‘mulju’ (soakages), or naturally occurring wells. The ‘kirda’ (owners) for this site are Nangala/Nampijinpa women and Jangala/Jampijinpa men. Two Jangala men, rainmakers, sang the rain, unleashing a giant storm. The storm travelled across the country from the east to the west, initially travelling with a ‘pamapardu Jukurrpa’ (termite Dreaming) from Warntungurru to Warlura, a waterhole 8 miles east of Yuendumu. At Warlura, a gecko called Yumariyumari blew the storm on to Lapurrukurra and Wilpiri. Bolts of lightning shot out at Wirnpa (also called Mardinymardinypa) and at Kanaralji. At this point the Dreaming track also includes the ‘kurdukurdu mangkurdu Jukurrpa’ (children of the clouds Dreaming). The water Dreaming built hills at Ngamangama using baby clouds and also stuck long pointy clouds into the ground at Jukajuka, where they can still be seen today as rock formations.
Shorty was born at Jila (Chilla Well), a large soakage and clay pan northwest of Yuendemu. He lived a nomadic hunter gatherer lifestyle with his parents, older brother and extended Warlpiri family. They travelled vast distances across desert country.
His childhood memories consist of stories associated with the Coniston massacre of Aboriginal people. Families were also shot at Wantaparri, close to Jila. Shorty had virtually no contact with white fellas during his youth, but remembered leaving Jila for Mt Theo 'to hide' from being shot.
During World War II, Shorty was taken and separated from his mother; however, she came to get him on foot and together they travelled hundreds of miles back to Chilla Well.
His working life was full of adventure and hard work for different enterprises in the Alice Springs and Yuendemu areas. He was well into his 70's when he started painting. His use of colour to paint and interpret his dreamings of Ngapa (Water), Watiyawarnu (Acacia), Yankirri (Emu) and Pamapardu (Flying Ant) are fresh, vigorous, and vital. He has been part of Aboriginal Art Exhibitions in both Australia and overseas.
He passed away on the 28th September 2014 on a sunny Sunday morning.
