Dreamtime story of the willy willy
1989
Medium
earth pigments and natural binder on canvas
Measurements
160.1 × 200.1 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1990
© Rover Thomas/Copyright Agency, Australia
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
This painting shows the ancestral path of miowin, a willy willy or spiralling dust storm, indicated by the swirling red-ochre design unleashed on the matt, white surface of the land and rising into the sky. The storm began as a murmur, in the upper right, and kept increasing in size and velocity as it moved through Jaru Country until it reached badangu ngapa (the main waterhole), shown enclosed by the spiral. Here the willy willy was consumed by Garagi, the Rainbow Serpent, who is associated with storms in the Kimberley region.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Warmun, Western Australia
Accession Number
O.1-1990
Department
First Nations Australia
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Vizard Foundation