MATTHEW TJAPANGATI
Matthew Tjapangati (b. 1961)
Untitled, 2011
46 x 38 cm. Acrylic on linen canvas
ARTIST
Matthew Tjapangati was born in Papunya in 1961, and now lives in Kintore.
PAINTING
This painting depicts designs associated with the claypan site of Malparingya, north west of the Kintore community.
In ancestral times a large group of Tingari men camped at this site and held ceremonies after travelling from the south through the Kintore area. The roundels in the painting represent body paint work by men during these ceremonies. This site forms part of the Tingari song cycle.
Since events associated with the Tingari Cycle are of a secret nature, no further detail was given.
Generally, the Tingari are a group of ancestral beings of the Dreaming who travelled over vast stretches of the country, performing rituals and creating and shaping particular sites. The Tingari men were usually followed by Tingari women and were accompanied by novices, and their travels and adventuress are enshrined in a number of song cycles.
These ancestral stories form part of the teachings, as well as providing explanations for contemporary customs.