Rainbow Serpent

$1,100.00

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SKU: LN003 Categories: , , ,

Description

Lofty belongs to a group of artists from Southern Kunjinjku, in Arnhem Land, who originally worked together in Oenpelli and have since established outstations in the stone country. Their work is characterised by a relatively unadorned style of painting and the use of strong simple red hatching in the interior of their work. This group of artists have strong affiliations with the rocky country towards the southern limits of Kunwinjku. Lofty is known to have started his painting career painting on rock, close to his clan lands. The use of a hatching style reminiscent of rock painting is deliberate and marks their ‘stone country’ affiliations. They maintained this aspect of their style partly to distinguish themselves from other groups living in Oenpelli, who employ a more lively multi-coloured infill style. The figure represented in this print is Ngalkunburriyaymi, the daughter of the original rainbow serpent Yingarna. The subject of the Rainbow Serpent is associated with Lofty’s clan lands in the headwaters of the Liverpool river. This vital Creator Spirit brings the rains of the wet season and revives the landscape annually. Lofty shows the figure as a complex transformational image combining elements from crocodile, emu, snake and fish species. Waterlilies are attached to her back. At sacred sites waterlilies mark the presence of the Creator Being inside the earth or water. The elegance of the main figure, etched against the plain colour of the background, is an important characteristic of Lofty’s work. Although Lofty uses relatively plain infill his works are characterised by sinuous figurative forms and exquisite detail in such elements as the head and digits of hands or toes of the figure.

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Additional information

Weight 1 kg
Dimensions 75 × 9 × 9 cm
Medium

Etching

Artist

Lofty Nadjamerrek

Image Size

Paper

Paper Size

Edition Size

99

Studio

Northern Editions & the artist's outstation Darwin, NT

Printer

Basil Hall

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