Tingari Story

This work depicts the travels of the Tingari, a group of ancestor beings, who travelled over vast stretches of the country performing rituals and creating and shaping sites. The Tingari Men were usually accompanied by novices and their travels and adventures are enshrined in a number of song cycles. These mythologies form part of the teachings of post-initiate youths today as well as providing explanations for contemporary customs. The Tingari ceremonies are of a secret nature and no further information was given by the artist. Willy Tjungurrayi has included a vast array of sites in this work, probably around his country in the region of Lake McDonald. In Mythological times, a large group of Tingari Men made camp at Lake McDonald during their journeying from the Peterman Range towards Kintore.

Australian Art Department, AGNSW, 1993