LIFE & DEATH

COLORS used in this artwork are blends of raw sienna and browns.

BACKGROUND is satin eggshell.

TEXTURING is very soft and minimal, mostly appearing on the wall surrounding the picture. This is a very detailed picture as the background is carved completely with crosshatchings.

SIZE 22”H x 15”W

CULTURAL INSPIRATION: This bark painting, a complex allegory of life and death, represents an Aboriginal mortuary ceremony. Represented are two scavengers of a dead person’s bones—the crow and praying mantis. The middle column shows a hollow log coffin where the bones of the dead are collected and deposited. The top part represents symbols of life. On the right is a cabbage palm tree. Cabbage palms are also referred to as “garnbanj” (Carpentaria acuminata). Young palm hearts are another favorite bush food. An artist from Djambarrpuyngu clan of Milingimbi, Arnhem Land created this elaborate bark painting.