Country, 2003

natural earth pigments on canvas

70 x 45 cm

$1,250

Provenance: Warmun Art Centre, Warmun, WA, Cat No. WAC 219/03
Exhibited: UNSW, Shalom Institute, Sydney NSW, July 2005
Artwork story: David Cox was still a relatively young man when he created this experimental work for the Warmun Art Centre at Turkey Creek. He built up the image by applying diluted ochre slurry in several layers to create an impression of the surrounding country. The dotted outline brings the entire composition to life. Singing out Spring lies in Yiyili country on Louisa Downs Station, near Halls Creek in the Kimberley. In the Ngarrangkarni (Dreamtime) three men were walking in the country near Yiyili. They were visitors to the country and had not been welcomed to the country. They came across a large natural spring and bent down to drink of the cool water. However, in the spring lived a large water snake who was keeper of that country and as the men bent down to drink the water, the snake ate them up. When a stranger comes to new country they should be welcomed to that country. The traditional way is to use a rock and dip it in the water and wipe the sides of the visitor and then throw that rock into the water. This is so the snake can smell the visitor and know that they have been welcomed. David has painted hills surrounding the waterhole. Yiyili is David's country.

Click to enlarge

natural earth pigments on canvas

70 x 45 cm

$1,250

Provenance: Warmun Art Centre, Warmun, WA, Cat No. WAC 219/03
Exhibited: UNSW, Shalom Institute, Sydney NSW, July 2005
Artwork story: David Cox was still a relatively young man when he created this experimental work for the Warmun Art Centre at Turkey Creek. He built up the image by applying diluted ochre slurry in several layers to create an impression of the surrounding country. The dotted outline brings the entire composition to life. Singing out Spring lies in Yiyili country on Louisa Downs Station, near Halls Creek in the Kimberley. In the Ngarrangkarni (Dreamtime) three men were walking in the country near Yiyili. They were visitors to the country and had not been welcomed to the country. They came across a large natural spring and bent down to drink of the cool water. However, in the spring lived a large water snake who was keeper of that country and as the men bent down to drink the water, the snake ate them up. When a stranger comes to new country they should be welcomed to that country. The traditional way is to use a rock and dip it in the water and wipe the sides of the visitor and then throw that rock into the water. This is so the snake can smell the visitor and know that they have been welcomed. David has painted hills surrounding the waterhole. Yiyili is David's country.