31 AM 911/03
Michael Nelson Jagamarra Two Kangaroo Men Dreaming 2002
Acrylic on linen 610 x 914mm $1,950
This painting tells the Dreamtime story of two Kangaroo ancestors who wake up the Rainbow Snakes at Mawarriji, a sacred site near Mt. Singleton, in Michael Nelson's homelands. The two Kangaroo Men have cooked and eaten a joey which they mistakenly believe to be another animal. The Rainbow Snakes can smell the cooking. The snakes are furious and try to kill the two Kangaroo men with a ferocious storm of wind, rain and lightning. The Kangaroo men hide out in a cave for many days until the storm passes and then continue on their journey. The central circle in this painting represents the fire. The two sinuous lines with bars to either side symbolize the water flowing and elements of the storm. The E shapes represent the Kangaroo Men. The background design indicates the rejuvenation effect the rain has had on the land.