In Arnkerrth, Mountain Devil Lizard Dreaming (1995), senior Anmatyerre artist Kathleen Petyarre maps the epic travels of Arnkerrth, the Mountain Devil Lizard and her totemic ancestor spirit. This work is rooted in Petyarre’s custodial responsibilities for the Dreaming stories associated with her country in the Eastern Desert of the Northern Territory.
Rendered in fine layers of dots, the painting evokes the spiritual presence of Arnkerrth as it traverses the desert landscape, leaving behind traces in the sand and sacred sites imbued with ancestral power. Petyarre’s dot work forms an aerial perspective, simultaneously representing topography, narrative movement, and ancestral memory. The painting captures both the physical geography and metaphysical dimensions of Country.
This work exemplifies Petyarre’s unique visual language, developed over years of experimentation with layering, colour, and scale. While deeply grounded in traditional law, her practice also reflects a contemporary sensibility, bringing ancient narratives into the realm of global contemporary art.
Arnkerrth, Mountain Devil Lizard Dreaming, 1995
PROVENANCE
Hogarth Galleries, NSW
Private collection
$22,000
In stock
In Arnkerrth, Mountain Devil Lizard Dreaming (1995), senior Anmatyerre artist Kathleen Petyarre maps the epic travels of Arnkerrth, the Mountain Devil Lizard and her totemic ancestor spirit. This work is rooted in Petyarre’s custodial responsibilities for the Dreaming stories associated with her country in the Eastern Desert of the Northern Territory.
Rendered in fine layers of dots, the painting evokes the spiritual presence of Arnkerrth as it traverses the desert landscape, leaving behind traces in the sand and sacred sites imbued with ancestral power. Petyarre’s dot work forms an aerial perspective, simultaneously representing topography, narrative movement, and ancestral memory. The painting captures both the physical geography and metaphysical dimensions of Country.
This work exemplifies Petyarre’s unique visual language, developed over years of experimentation with layering, colour, and scale. While deeply grounded in traditional law, her practice also reflects a contemporary sensibility, bringing ancient narratives into the realm of global contemporary art.
