Weaver Jack

Painted at Bidyidanga, Western Australia

Short St Gallery (catalogue number 27067)

Private Collection

According to artist’s manager Emily Rohr, Weaver Jack painted this artwork in 2007 as a map, designed to show the route back to Wirnpa, her remote country that she had been in exile from for several decades. The ‘map’ was to be used for their trip back to country which was documented in David Batty’s film Desert Heart (2008)

Rohr explains that the artist "is indicating the different types of country to let us know where we can travel, and how to best access the waterhole. Because we used it as a guide on the trip it was held by the gallery for her family until she died then they released it for sale" (Personal correspondence).

The film Desert Heart, documented how after forty years in exile, Yulparitja elders take Daniel Walbidi, their most promising young artist, back to the Australian desert heartland they left behind.

This painting is sold with accompanying documentation that is prepared by the Short St Gallery with descriptive notes that reads:

"This painting shows Lungarung, Winpa and the Mangala side of Yulparija country in the Great Sandy Desert of W.A. near the Percival Lakes. Weaver is represented by the yellow edged white t shaped cross and has depicted herself sitting down surrounded by trees in an important meeting place.

She says "this painting shows all the jila (living waterhole). Nyardanga, Nyirimbin, Mingarda, Milgarlgi, Lungarung" as illustrated by the path of circles down the mid-painting. She goes on to say "this country (pointing to the top right corner) Grandpa bin leave 'im for them. This country belong to old man but he bin pass away and leave 'im for all the brothers now. Snake place big one."

Winpa (located at the bottom right corner of painting) is a big jila and important rain making place for the Yulparija. He was a very powerful law man and rainmaker and was the last one of his countrymen to lay down. Like his sons he laid down to rest as a snake and is still active today. In the painting Weaver shows the people's tracks walking around Winpa in the white of the salt lake area of country".

Image Credits

Photographs of the artist taken on the trip back to country documented in David Batty's film Desert Heat (2008)

Portrait of Weaver Jack courtesy of Short St Gallery