The story is written in the country now, in the rock holes, hills, and dunes.
The story is also told at the National Museum of Australia in a stunning exhibition of paintings, holograms, wooden bowls, ceramics, woven baskets, woven figures and cinematic immersion.
Songlines: tracking the seven sisters traces the pursuit of seven sisters by an ancestral shape-shifter over vast expanses of Australia through three different tribal lands: the country of the Martu (the western desert in central Western Australia); the Ngaanyatjarra (between Alice Springs and Kalgoorlie – 3% of Australia); and the Anangu/Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytatjara (in the northwest of South Australia).
The names of the characters might change (the pursuer is Nyurla and Wati Nyiru; the sisters collectively Minyipuru, Kungkarrangkalpa and Kungkarangkalpa) and the story darken, but there is continuity as the journey forms the landscape, until finally the sisters escape into the sky and become the star-cluster of the Pleiades.
The representations begin with an arrangement of striking woven figures.
The information panels are written in language, as well as English, and many of the paintings have an interpretation of the symbols. The colours are breathtakingly vivid, traditional Aboriginal dots and symbols emerging from the dark walls. I’ve offered close-ups with some trepidation at taking them from the whole image, since the image carries so much meaning.
A collection of woven baskets offers the configuration of the Pleiades.
Every now and then you are confronted by tall videos of Aboriginal women, talking about their version of the story.
A digital dome with a circular couch and headrests allows you to look into the sky, and to see the Walinynga (Cave Hill) rock art, which begins 3500 years ago and continues into the present.
A second collection of woven figures, dance and cast their shadows as we move in to Ngaanyatjarra lands. There too is a room of ceramics, yet another way to tell the story.
In the APY lands, Wati Nyiru checks his footprints and counts his toes -7? 5? 3?. He recognises himself as a sorcerer at last and this answers the question he has been asking himself: “Why don’t they like me?”
Tjungkara Ken dreamed about painting on a round canvas to track the journey of Kungkarangkalpa across 600 kilometres from the Northern Territory to South Australia to Western Australia. What she and her sisters painted is an encyclopaedic map conveying the knowledge carried in Songlines about bush medicine, bush food and water sources.
Tjunkaya Tapaya is a traditional owner at Atila. She says “I have painted this Tjukurpa (Creation of country) on many canvases, and my Tjukurpa has gone out to many places sharing this important story.”
The last lot of woven figures show the Seven Sisters escaping into the sky to become the star cluster, Pleiades, the end of their story. My photos don’t do them justice, but you can see the figures and learn about their making here.
Coda
Songlines were given legal authority in the Australian Federal Court in 2005 when it recognised the Ngaanyatjarra people’s claim to 180 000 square kilometres. Celebrations included dancing the Seven Sisters.
For the Seven Sisters story told on-site in language (with captions), click here
For quality reproductions and photos of the artists, click here.
If you want to know more about what Songlines are, click here
My apologies if I’ve made any protocol mistakes, omissions or mis-attributions.
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Lucid Gypsy said:
I’m not sure about the woven figures, but everything else, especially the ceramics and baskets is wonderful, I would have been in seventh heaven
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morselsandscraps said:
I got it very wrong. I 5ought of you when I saw the woven figures and thought – wrongly – that you’d like them! I usually predict reasonably well. Aboriginal basket work is always amazing. I like your seventh heaven joke. Off to the beach after a corn harvest, I am. I hope you’re doing something as satisfying!
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Lucid Gypsy said:
I like the dancing arms, but some of the others are a bit dark! Yes it’s very rare for you not to read me perfectly. I think that similar are found in other cultures, Incan for instance.
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morselsandscraps said:
I think you’re right. A Seven Sisters story appears elsewhere too.
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maristravels said:
wonderful, both the figures, paintings, designs, everything, plus your illustrations.
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morselsandscraps said:
My illustrations?
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Heyjude said:
Aboriginal art is so interesting. Thank you for taking the time and effort to produce this informative post Meg. Looks like you had a great time in Canberra.
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morselsandscraps said:
I did indeed. An inspiration to visit again. Coming up art from Baudin’s voyages 1800-1804, and a major exhibition of Roman objects from the British Museum. It was time and effort – I reckon it took me 8 hours to put the post together.
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Heyjude said:
I appreciate the effort. It does show in the way you compose your posts. Good museums are a joy to visit and Canberra has several. I’m only annoyed that I didn’t make the effort to visit London more often when I lived nearby.
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Sue said:
Ah, Songlines….. This is a fascinating post, Meg
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morselsandscraps said:
Chatwin’s take gets a good working over here
https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2017/september/1504188000/richard-cooke/crankhandle-history
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Sue said:
Oh, thank you, Meg! I shall look forward to reading this…and hard to believe it’s 30 years since Chatwin left us…
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Sue said:
An interesting article… “based on his ability to embellish and connect, rather than invent. But somehow he has wound up with a reputation as a fantasist, even a bullshit artist. A strange fate for someone who never claimed to be telling the truth. “
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Tish Farrell said:
Thank you so much for this post, Meg. Marvellous!
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restlessjo said:
The concept of Songlines is quite amazing to me, Meg. I don’t have your deep rooted love of Australia but the National Museum website looks to be a wonderful resource. This artwork is so vivid, and I love the arrangement of those baskets. Quite incredible, the whole thing! 🙂 🙂
Are you well, my dear, and the plumbing issues sorted?
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morselsandscraps said:
restlessjo said:
🙂 🙂
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morselsandscraps said:
It was a must-see exhibition – nearly everyone I know made a pilgrimage to Canberra. I was lucky to be able to give it a double visit, the second time as an audio-tour.
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