GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA

Painted in the Ngukurr region, South East Arnhem Land in 1989
Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
Private collection, Melbourne
Sotheby's, Aboriginal Art, 25 July 2005, lot 107
Private collection

Mother Country In Mind: The Art of Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, 16 July - 21 September 1997, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (label on reverse of mount board)

The painting is in good condition overall with minor scuffs and scracthed to the edges of the canvas. There are no visible repairs or restoration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Cf. Ryan J., Ginger Riley, National Gallery of Victoria, 1997, pp.54-55; for a similar panoramic landscape Munduwalawala belonged to the Mara language group but the subject of most of his work is the landscape around the Four Archers, a spectacular group of hills on the Limmen Bight River, some 50 kilometers inland from the south-western corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria, in his mother's country for which he was a jungkayi or custodian. This expansive landscape features scene of daily life; hunting kangaroo, goanna and turtle, and camp scenes.

The most common element inn Munduwalawala's paintings is Ngak Ngak the white-breasted Sea Eagle, with whom the artist had a special attachment. Ngak Ngak is the guardian of the land and is depicted here sitting in the branches of the tree flanked by Garimala the Taipan who appears as two beings. Ngak Ngak may be considered as the alter-ego of the artist, watching over the Dreaming as it unfolds, a witness to the events of Creation.